A Golden Heart
by SergiusTheGreat
Summary: Ex-N7 Commando and C-Sec agent Luke de la Vega meets a young, struggling quarian in the Citadel, unleashing a series of turning points that put both in the eye of the storm. Humor, romance and action in this story. Rated M for various reasons. Parody-kind. Dedicated to the writers who have made this such a great section of fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1

Hello people, this is my first story, so be extremely hard on reviews, the more you criticize, the better I get. This is my first chapter of the story I'm planning to write, so y'all tell me what you think about it.

'_Italics mean thoughts'. _

All characters and rights belong to the geniuses at Bioware. Main character, however, was created.

Chapter 1: The Detective and the Situation

Cruising through the alleys of the Citadel, Lucius De la Vega continued in his search for crime and injustice.

His job as a C-Sec detective had begun only a few months earlier. No one expected that a soldier would be able to become a good detective at the Citadel, specifically an ex N7 Marine.

'_Sorry to disappoint you ladies and gentlemen, but this guy is now a detective'_, he thought to himself, grinning in the process.

While standing close to a store owned by a Salarian that was recently robbed, he noticed a Turian laying down, holding his chest. Lucius immediately rushed to his side, and knelt right next to him.

"Sir, are you alright?" Lucius asked. The Turian looked bad, he was bleeding from a bullet wound in his chest, and he was trying to stop the hemorrhage.

"Ah… yes I think so Human, someone just took my wallet and shot me in the chest, yes I think I'm alright" the Turian finished sarcastically. He had a look in the face of yes idiot, I'm wounded.

Lucius, being slightly annoyed but in the inside finding his comment a little funny, immediately called for reinforcements and paramedics to the scene. Within minutes, C-Sec agents and paramedics arrived. Lucius then helped the recently assaulted Turian stand up, but not before applying some Medi-Gel to his wound, and leading him to an ambulance.

The Turian, who was, according to some, smiling, asked Lucius "Detective, you just saved my life back there, what is your name if I may ask?" he finished, looking at the detective with powerful, deep cloudy eyes.

Lucius turned, as he was busy talking to his fellow detectives, and looked at the Turian in the eyes, then said: "Lucius, Lucius de la Vega, nice to meet you Mr…" he gestured at the Turian with his hand to make him introduce himself too.

"Oh! Sorry, Lardris Konius, Administrator of the Turian Cuisine Restaurant just a few meters away from your station" he finished, grinning once again.

'_Well this Turian is always in a good mood eh?' _Lucius thought to himself as he smiled and nodded at Konius. Konius was then taken to the clinic, and Lucius stayed to make further investigations.

A few hours passed since the incident, and now Lucius began searching for evidence in the scene. '_Just some Turian blood and a few credit chits in the floor, very little evidence' _he sighed as he looked for more evidence that could point to something important. Finally, Lucius' shift ended, and began walking to his apartment, thinking of what to do, when he received a call from his best friend at C-Sec, fellow Turian detective Kalec Mindus, a hardcore fan of Human soccer and heavy drinking.

As Lucius gets the call from his Omni-Tool, he immediately hears Mindus' voice "Hey Luke, we are going to the Flux for some drinks, talk about the Geth attack and some soccer games, wanna tag along?" the Turian finished.

Lucius rolled his eyes and smiled, thinking of the nickname he got from Mindus. '_Just showing that bastard those human films of Star Wars', _he thought. A few months earlier, when Lucius was new to C-Sec, he became fast friends with the Turian "party starter" and, in a party at his house, after watching some old human movies, one of them "Star Wars" which the Turian found funny because of the old, crappy special effects, Mindus thought of Luke as a good nickname to the blonde looking Lucius.

Drifting back to reality and looking at the omni tool, Lucius sensed that the Turian was going to drink heavily and arm a revolution at the bar, so he answered, "No bro, I'm going to my house, I'm really tired, but hey, what about tomorrow we watch Barcelona versus Real Madrid, they are having their 300th classic match, I think, it's going to be a lovely game, how about we get some booze and watch it in my apartment?" he finished with a smile, already knowing what the Turian would say.

"Goddamn, you are a genius Lucius, hell yea I'm going, and well, I'll see you later, I'm watching some beautiful Asari on the dance floor, wish me luck bro!" he finished with enthusiasm.

"Good luck and be careful womanizer" Lucius finished smiling and then hung up.

'_Damn what a day…'_ Lucius thought to himself as he sighed and walked to the door of his apartment. Although just a C-Sec agent, he had a luxurious apartment, thanks to his time in the N7 program and his rich father, a powerful and very able businessman. Though he and his father were not always on good terms, they would still see each other once a month to discuss how they were doing and pass stories of their recent accomplishments.

'_Oh shit, I will have to see him next week!' _Lucius remembered while opening the door into his apartment. As he entered into his house, his dome, his party place, his kingdom, he got some popcorn and put some old movies while getting some tequila to enjoy the night.

'_Hopefully tomorrow will be better' _he thought while laughing at his favorite comedic show of all time, his beloved Three Stooges.

'_Oh Keelah, when am I going to find work?' _Lia'Vael nar Ulnay thought while looking through the stores and establishments in the Zakera Ward. It had been a month since she met Commander Shepard and Tali'Zorah, when they helped her prove her innocence against an annoying Volus merchant and a racist Human C-Sec agent.

'_I hope there are some people like them' _Lia thought while resting in a bench, looking at the corner of the ward, where C-Sec agents and paramedics flooded the place. She had heard a loud bang in the distance a few minutes earlier thanks to her suit hearing enhancements, but did not pay attention to it. She was busy thinking about how to find some work, but the petty racism and paranoia from the people at the Citadel had her completely drifting in a difficult position.

Lia then got up and went to the Turian shelter to get some food and sleep the night in her sleep pod before going to look for work the next day. '_Hope my luck changes and I get a job tomorrow or else I'm going crazy'. _She then started walking slowly to the shelter, her only home.

As the alarm sounded, Lia got up and, while reassuring herself, went out in her frantic, almost impossible task of finding a job. She didn't care what kind of job it was, she just wanted some income so that she could buy something for her Pilgrimage or at least, some good food.

She had very little money left, and she was kind of thirsty, so she went to the Flux bar. '_Some good fresh water, or a good sweet, alcohol free drink to start the day' _she kept thinking as she entered the bar. She could smell the smoke of the human clientele, and hear all the laughs that flooded the bar. She then got some courage, as she was thinking of just walking away, and went to the Turian bartender. "Hello, um, can I get some water please?" The humble Quarian asked.

The Turian gave her a hateful look, "Filthy Quarian! Here we serve drinks, not water, now get out of here before you start stealing my goods" he finished as he gave her another hateful look.

She had gotten tired of those insults and the powerless feeling of not being able to do anything, so the rage flowed through her and screamed "We Quarians do not steal! I just got here to get some water because I'm thirsty! I'm tired of people like you, who only see us as thieves and beggars, because we are not!" she finished, gathering the attention of the crowd in the bar.

In a blink of an eye, the Turian grabbed her by the neck and started screaming, throwing off curses that she couldn't even understand, but she wasn't paying attention to that, she was paying attention to her being grabbed by the Turian.

"Leave her alone!" "Come on man, don't be like that" "She didn't do anything to you" "Fight!" "Rid us of that thief" could be heard from the crowd. One of the Asari on the dance floor got her omni tool and called C-Sec, as the situation was getting worse.

"Don't worry ma'am, an agent it's on his way to deal with the situation, please stay calm" the C-Sec agent said in the line, with a deep voice. Less than a minute later, a human C-Sec agent rushed through the door, focused on the situation in front of his eyes, a crazy Turian grabbing a young Quarian female by the neck.

Lucius had stayed awake until midnight watching the Three Stooges until he fell asleep and drifted to the land of dreams. His alarm went off at 8:30 am, a loud song he used to listen to used as the alarm.

"Oh God, now I hate that song with a passion" Lucius said loudly as he stretched on the couch. He then took a quick shower, put on his C-Sec uniform and went to report to the C-Sec station, to see what was new.

As he was getting to his office, Captain Bailey approached him, "Hey son, Kolyat told me he got a call of a situation in the Flux, an altercation between a Turian and a Quarian, can you go fix it?" Captain Bailey asked, with his usual deep, commanding voice.

Lucius always thought of Bailey as a very good boss, he commanded respect and was extremely good at keeping control. Lucius saw the good side of his heart when Kolyat got inducted into C-Sec after attempting to murder Jorim Talid, that stupid racist Turian.

"Yes sir! Right away!" Lucius said loudly as he nodded and rushed through the people, on his way to the bar, where his friend Mindus had been drinking the day before. He then rushed in, and saw a Turian throwing curses and tantrums at the female Quarian, who was trying to get out of his talons.

"Sir! Get your hands off the lady and put your hands on your head!" He said as he began to get his pistol out, getting the whole attention of the crowd in the bar.

Well Folks, tell me what you think. I'm working on the second chapter already. I know the characters have not a good depth, but I assure you, that later, you will know a lot awful about them.


	2. Chapter 2

Alright guys, I'm starting to get some fire at this. Review and Enjoy!

Chapter 2 Alteration and Clearance

The people were stunned. First, they had a crazy Turian bartender ready to start squeezing the neck of the fragile looking Quarian. Then a C-Sec agent ready to shoot.

"Sir, please release the Quarian and let us talk about this" Luke said, his voice calm and reassuring, putting his pistol back in his pocket.

The Turian gave him a confused look. Luke could see the bartender shaking, probably nervous of the situation he got into. "Ah… Yes, I guess you are right Officer" the Turian said with a really nervous voice and immediately let go of the Quarian.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" Luke asked Lia, as she began to walk away slowly from the bartender.

"No! This man wanted to kill me for ordering water! How could I be okay after that?" Lia stated with a really mad voice, stunning everyone in the bar, including Luke.

"Sorry ma'am, I was just asking if you had suffered any injuries during the altercation" Luke stated in a matter of fact voice. He then turned to the bartender, "Sir, could you explain me as to what was the purpose of your violent actions before I put you under arrest?" Luke said, with a little hate in his voice.

"I'm so sorry Officer, I lost it, I don't know what happened with me, it's just that I thought that Quarian would steal from me" the Turian said, still some nervousness in his voice. Luke could see that all of this happened out of pure hate and racism.

"This lady has a name! You don't have to call her like that. Talking about that, what is your name Miss?" Luke said, his body looking at the shaking Quarian, who was looking at the floor.

"My name is Lia, Lia'Vael nar Ulnay, and I'm sorry Officer, for my outburst" Lia said with a really low, depressing voice. Luke could see that she was truly sorry, which made him smile warmly.

"No ma'am, its okay, do not worry about it, you have nothing to be sorry about, now you know her name Turian!" Luke said, pointing a finger at the Turian, with some venom put in the word "Turian." He was really mad about the situation. '_How all of this could happen because of racism… Ignorant assholes'_, he thought.

"Officer, I was just protecting my interests, all Quarians are known to be thieves, look at her, I'm sure she doesn't even have money to buy water, much less a drink!" the Turian stated, still firm that his outburst was correct.

This just made Luke even madder, he just wanted to punch the Turian in the face, but in that case, a lot could be done against him, and all he had done with C-Sec in the past few months would be put in jeopardy. '_It's not worth it Luke, it's not worth it…'_

"Alright, ma'am, if you would excuse me" Luke said, moving away from the scared Quarian, moving with tough, powerful steps towards the Turian. "Sir, you are under arrest for the charges of assault and aggression, you have the right to remain silent…" Luke gave him the whole C-Sec arrest speech while putting him against the wall and proceeding to arrest him. Then a Turian entered the bar, in C-Sec uniform.

"Damn it! I lost the fun! Don't worry pal, I'll take care of this guy while you go talk to victim, I'm sure she wants to talk" Mindus said, with his never ending gun ho attitude.

Smiling, Luke nodded, and gave the bartender to Mindus, who got him out of the bar, on his way to the interrogation room in the precinct. Luke just smiled as to what would happen to this guy, as Bailey had no mercy, no matter what species was brought to custody. He then turned to see the young Quarian lady just looking at the floor, nervous, ashamed of what happened.

Luke then saw all the people in the bar looking at Lia, which made her even more nervous. "Alright people, move along, shows over" he said in a commanding voice. Within seconds, the people started to go by their business, talking, yelling, dancing and laughing.

"Miss Lia, I'm sorry for what happened, please take a seat" Luke said, then gestured Lia to sit in one of the tables nearby. Lia's body language continued to show nervousness, reluctance to sit. Lucius just smiled warmly and told her, in a reassuring voice "Miss Lia, I'm not going to bite you, I just want to talk, hear your side of the story, now please take a seat"

'_Why is this human so good to me? After all of this, he's so calm.' _Lia thought while sitting. She was really nervous and was playing with her fingers under the table. She then got some courage and said "Thank You Officer, if it wasn't for you, I'm sure that man would have killed me or something" Lia stated, which made Luke smile warmly.

"Oh don't worry ma'am, just doing my job, I hate when people are racist and ignorant you know, I was so close to just punch the guy" Luke said smiling, taking a sip from his bottle of water. Lia just looked at him quizzically.

"Yeah, I know, I've been getting into a lot of this lately, well, since I got here" Lia said with some sadness in her voice.

"Oh don't worry Miss Lia, I'm sure you'll do better in the future, but, tell me, what has happened with your Pilgrimage, what are you planning to get?" Luke said, eager to start a conversation with the recent victimized Quarian. Lia was shocked. '_Another human who knows about our Pilgrimage? First Commander Shepard, now him?' _Lia thought.

"Excuse me if I may ask, but, how do you know about our Pilgrimage?" Lia said with a now happy, and curious voice. This made Luke smile even more, eager to explain.

"I had a friend, when I was in the military, she was quite good with cultures of other species, very smart woman, a total genius in that kind of work" Luke stated, happy that Lia was following the conversation smoothly.

"Oh, that's stunning! Who is she?" Lia asked, making her curiosity clear now. She was now eager to follow Luke's friendly conversation.

This brought bad memories, and a sad smile to Lucius. "She passed away a few years ago, she was in Truba, a small human colony in the Skyllian Verge, a Batarian slaver raid, at least that damn Asari fought with distinction before they got her" Luke said, with some pride and sadness in his voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry, may she be resting in peace now." Lia stated, clearly saddened by the news.

"Don't worry, I know she is. So, she was the one who got me into reading books about different species, like you Quarians, Hanar, the Turians and some of the Salarians, I was never interested in those frogs though" Luke said warmly, hoping that a joke would get both of them happy and eager to continue talking.

"Frogs? Why is… Oh! Never mind, I get it now!" Lia said, laughing quietly, so as not to give attention to the rest of the people at the bar, which would still look at her at times.

Smiling warmly, Luke then asked "Miss Lia, are you hungry?" with a happy tone that shocked Lia.

"Me? Ah… No, I had some nutrient paste back at the shelter yesterday" Lia said.

Luke was extremely touched by her modesty and humility, but that didn't get in the way for him to order some nutrient paste, of good quality, and a sweet drink to the poor Quarian. Lia tried to protest, but Luke assured her worries, and the two continued talking.

"So, you said you don't have a job Miss?" Luke asked, curiosity and happiness in his voice, which continued to shock Lia.

"No, I don't, I came here, thinking that there will be a lot of jobs, you know, salvage and repairs, but everywhere I go, there are signs of 'No work' or 'Not hiring Quarians' but I will continue looking for one" Lia said, a little disappointment in her voice, but her determination was powerful. Luke was impressed.

"Will you excuse me; I will call my boss about what happened here, I'll be right back okay?" Luke said, clearly interested in continuing the conversation.

"Okay" was the only thing Lia could say before Luke got up from his seat, heading to the restroom. She was wondering what he would say about her.

"Sir, the Turian is under arrest, Mindus took him to the precinct, and everything is under control" Luke stated proudly.

"Very good work De la Vega! How's the victim?" Bailey said, with a happy but strict voice.

"She's doing good sir, it looks like she's used to this kind of crap, sorry for the word" Luke said, grinning at his mistake of words.

"Don't worry Luke, that was some nice work, at least nobody got injured, so you said she's going fine?" Bailey asked, interested in what Luke had to say.

"Yes sir, but one more thing, you have been looking for salvage and engineer specialists right? Because there is a lot yet to be recovered from the old C-Sec buildings and archives destroyed during the Geth attack" Luke said, waiting for a good answer.

"Indeed Luke, though no one wants to, because they either fear the Geth parts will start reviving or the Keepers might eat them or that the pay is too low for the job they have to do, damn cowards, if I was good at technology, I would do it myself!" Bailey said, half joking, half serious.

"Well sir, I think we got our solution, this lady, Miss Lia'Vael, is quite good at this, I mean she's a Quarian, so I'm sure she'll do fine with this, what do you say Captain? She's unemployed right now, so we don't have to worry about that." Luke said, clearly eager to help both the Quarian and C-Sec at the same time. '_Two birds with one shot'_ he thought, smiling.

After a few seconds, Bailey finally answered "Hmmm, yea, why not? Of course, just tell her to report to my office tomorrow at nine o-clock in the morning, I don't even need to ask, Quarians are excellent engineers and pretty much geniuses at salvage, just tell her to report early tomorrow to my office, got it?" Bailey said, with a positive tone in his voice.

"Loud and clear sir, now I have to go, I'm gonna check on Miss Lia before I get to the streets, I'm sure Mindus is already screaming for me to get out" Luke said, with a happy, positive voice.

"Oh he is, he keeps saying that you are probably hitting on the Quarian" Bailey said, laughing like a maniac.

Shocked but still smiling, Luke said "Ah… No sir, I'm just doing my job" Luke said.

"Just me and Mindus joking with you Luke, good luck, Bailey out" and with that, Bailey was done talking to Luke. '_Damn it Mindus, I'll get you in a little bit, you sneaky bastard'_ he thought, laughing at himself.

Lia then saw Luke get out of the restroom, and looked at the way he walked. '_Keelah, he really was a soldier' _she thought. As she kept staring, Lucius saw her, which made her blush instantly. '_Oh Keelah! I was staring at him for too long!'_ She thought. She could feel her cheeks burning.

"Hey Miss Lia, enjoyed your meal?" Luke asked, with a smile in his face.

'_This human smiles too much…' _Lia thought. "Erm.. Yes, I did, thank you, for everything, for saving me from the crazy Turian and the meal, really, thanks for everything" She said, with a lot of humility and happiness in her voice.

"Oh, you're more than welcome; I was just doing my job." He said, with pride. "Anyway, leaving that aside, you are to report tomorrow to C-Sec" he said, now with a serious voice.

'_Oh, Keelah! What did I do now? I knew this was way too good.' _"Ah… Did I do something wrong officer?" She said, nervousness and fear coming to her voice once again, her fingers fidgeting with each other.

Lucius found this cute, and immediately smiled, which made Lia jump. "Oh, no no no, nothing wrong Miss Lia, I was just playing with you with the serious voice, but yes, you have to report tomorrow to C-Sec, as you can begin working as an engineer technician specialized in technology and salvage, that's, of course, if you want it? Luke said, with that smile imprinted in his face.

Lia was speechless. '_Why? Why would this man try to help me? I mean Shepard and Tali'Zorah were good and all, but I didn't expect this, specially coming from a C-Sec detective' _she thought. Then, after a few seconds of awkward silence, she was finally able to speak "Ar… Are you sure? Can I work with C-Sec?" she said, nervous and confused.

"Of course, I talked to my captain about you, he said he needed a salvage technician to help C-Sec clear some of the damage in the remaining precincts, because there are not too many people here specialized in that kind of technology, we both know that your people are more than good at this" he said.

"I… umm… Thank You Officer, for everything, this means a lot, now I can probably start saving for a Pilgrimage gift" she said, with some nervousness, but also some happiness in her voice. Luke was rejoicing. '_Damn, she's cute'_

"Excellent! Don't worry about thanking me, you deserve it! And please call me Luke" Luke said, with that smile that always got the attention of Lia.

"Ummm, okay, Luke, you can call me Lia you know, you can drop the Miss" she said, smiling. Luke could not see it, but he knew she was smiling.

"Alright Lia, just report tomorrow at eight o clock, my captain likes people being early in their jobs" Luke said. "Well, Lia, I have to go, I have to complete my schedule before my friends comes here and drags me by the ears, so I'll see you tomorrow, good luck and take some rest, you clearly need it" Luke said as he got up from the chair, heading for the exit doors.

'_Thank You, Luke, for everything' _she thought while smiling under her mask.

Review and tell me what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: The Bet and the Underneath.

Luke and Mindus were walking around the Zakera Ward, bored out of their existence. It had been clearly a really boring day, safe for that incident in the bar in the morning, where Luke had all the fun. Finally, after minutes of silence, Mindus spoke.

"Hey bro, after our shift, you wanna watch the soccer game you were talking about yesterday? I just bought your precious human drink, the Tekula or whatever it's called" Mindus asked, in his positive tone of everyday.

"Sure, I'm really looking forward to that game, I'm sure Barcelona will kick Real Madrids ass so hard that they will send them all the way to the Perseus Veil" Luke said, happy that they were talking after minutes, which seemed like hours, of boringness and silence. "And the drink is called Tequila, not Tekula you retard"

"Whatever." The Turian answered. He then remembered the soccer game. "Ha! You'll see! Real Madrid just got a badass Turian goalkeeper from one of the top Clawball teams on Palaven, wanna make a bet on the score?" Mindus asked with a smirk.

"Sure, how about a party at the Flux, loser pays all the bills" Luke proposed, also with a smirk on his face. He knew Mindus wouldn't resist.

"It's a bet!" Mindus said almost screaming.

'_Some easy drinks from Mindus, now this day is just getting better'_

Luke's Apartment

"Ahhhh shit! Garcia sucks balls! The ball was right in front of him!" Mindus screamed like a child, throwing tantrums at the screen.

"So, my friend, what's the score?" Luke asked with a smirk that clearly annoyed the Turian.

"Ugh, 2 – 0, but it's because of the strikers on Real Madrid, the suck so much that they should be playing against Volus, and even then they would lose!" Mindus screamed, clearly annoyed at the situation, his team losing in the last 10 minutes of the game.

"Well well, looks my strikers Dardivic and that Turian, Vastolus, have been in great form for Barcelona, told you they would win no matter what. Not even your precious goalkeeper stopped them" Luke said with a big, devious smile. '_I'm going to get wasted from Mindus' pocket, now this is a bet!'_

''Well this is all folks! Barcelona has beaten Real Madrid once again! Thanks to Turian striker Vastolus, and Dardivic, from Serbia, Barcelona is now on top of the league!'' The game commentator screamed with all his might, clearly showing that he enjoyed the game.

"Ahhhh Fuck Real Madrid! Useless piece of crap team!" Mindus screamed once again. He then lowered his head, in a sign of defeat. "Well, a bet is a bet, so tomorrow, drinks are on me" Mindus said, with a low voice.

"Aww come on bro! Next time you'll beat me, now let's chill and talk about good old times before we get wasted" Luke said in a hyper, happy voice.

For hours, they talked about their experiences with each other's military. Mindus had served in the Turian Special Forces for six years, and then discharged honorably so that he could serve as a C-Sec detective. He was also an outstanding marksman and great platoon leader. He also talked about his father, being a general in the army, tough but warm, always looking for what was best for his family.

Luke talked about how he joined the Alliance, and, due to his outstanding achievements in training, got inducted into the N7 Academy. He said that he wanted to venture deep into space, see some action, and beat up some bad guys. He also mentioned his parents. His mother was a psychologist, who was very good at the job. Luke mentioned little of her death. Just that she had an accident on Illium when Luke was 18 years old. His father suffered a severe blow, and never recovered from it. He never mentioned why he left the Alliance military though.

After getting drunk, both said bye to each other, and Mindus left. It was like 3 o clock in the morning. _'Tomorrow, hard day, lots of drinks though' _he thought, which made him smile deviously once again. Luke stumbled all the way to his bed, and fell asleep instantly.

C-Sec Station

Luke got to his shift late, as he had a huge hangover, and reported to Captain Bailey, who just smiled at the hangover stricken detective. "Wow, looks like you had a rough night kid, but since you have a lot of work to do, I'll tell you what your assignment is for today." Bailey said as he was typing in his computer. "Your Quarian friend is waiting for you, you will be her escort to the old ward, sources have been telling me that some low criminals have been hiding there, so you two better be careful"

"Alright sir, don't worry. Let me go babysit our newest engineer" Luke said with a smirk and left. Bailey just shook his head and smiled. _'Babysit my ass'_

Luke made his way through the tons of C-Sec agents, busy in their work. Still, Mindus was nowhere to be seen. _'That asshole better have not backed down from the bet, or else I'll go and drag him out of his cave' _Luke thought to himself and smiled. He was in his world when a voice shook him up completely.

"Hi Luke! I was waiting for you" a female voice said.

Luke turned his head and saw Lia standing with her arms crossed and looking at him like if he was a complete alien, out of this world. "Looks like you had a pretty rough night" she said, chuckling in the process.

"Yea, I was just told the same thing" Luke said, smiling and chuckling.

"Well, Miss Vael, what does your majesty have in mind for this poor C-Sec agent?" Luke said with a smirk, which made Lia chuckle even more.

"Ha! Well this lady wants you to escort her to the dangerous realm right below us" she said, going along with his joke.

"Alright Lia, let's go! Yahoo! Luke said, laughing.

"Yahoo?" Lia asked cocking her head to the side.

"Oh, it's a human expression for lets go, but more dramatic and fun" Luke said, smiling.

'_I can see that he's really looking forward to this' _she thought, which made her smile under her mask.

"Alright detective, let's go" she said in a funny, commanding voice. Luke just nodded and the two began to walk to the elevator that would take them to their objective, the underneath of the Zakera Ward.

The site was depressing indeed. Since the attack, no one, except criminals, dared to get into the destroyed part of the wards. There were pieces of metal, weapons, computers and all of the above laying around, untouched, silenced. There were signs of gang activity in the area, particularly from the Night Shadow gang.

The Night Shadows were really good thieves and robbers, who had been terrorizing the wards until Captain Bailey launched a full scale operation against them. Dozens were arrested, and the remaining members retreated into the slums beneath the Zakera Ward, knowing that no one, not even C-Sec, would venture to that God-forsaken place.

'_Hope these guys think we're here just for the salvage.' _Luke though, as he was looking at some graffiti in the walls, when Lia interrupted his thoughts.

"So, how was your night?" Lia asked while she was scanning some computers and cables.

"Oh, it was good, me and my friend watched a soccer game and, drank a little" Luke answered, smiling.

"A little? Yea and I'm an Asari Matriarch hiding beneath this veil" Lia said sarcastically.

"Oh come on, a man has to have to good nights with friends, some fun after a hard day of work don't you think?" Luke answered, while looking at the objects she was scanning.

"On the flotilla, we are very social, we tend to talk to members of all clans, and trade with them, but there are almost no alcoholic beverages, they are really scarce, and would mess with our immune system, so it's like if they are banned" Lia said while getting up and looking at other junk that laid in front of them.

"Oh yeah, I read about how social your people are. It makes happy that, after what your people went through, you are so social, so united. I wish it was the same here" Luke said.

"What makes you think that?" Lia asked, looking at him.

"Well, here, in the galaxy, is basically survival of the fittest, business, money, power. Ambition and power, which make us act like animals. All that 'civilized' things are just bullshit" Luke answered immediately.

"Well, if you put that way, then it's somewhat true, but I have met really good people on my Pilgrimage" Lia said while scanning another computer.

"Like who?" Luke asked, eager for an answer.

"I met Commander Shepard and Tali'Zora like two months ago, really good people, helping me against that annoying Volus. Then I met a certain C-Sec agent who saved me from a crazy Turian and got me a job" Lia answered, smiling under her mask while moving some cables and junk.

Luke blushed. "Oh, thank you, it means a lot from you" Luke said while looking at her. "Wait! You said you met THE Commander Shepard? And THE Tali'Zora?" Luke asked, shocked and intrigued, he wanted to hear more. Shepard was like a hero to him, an inspiration, a role model to follow.

"Yes, didn't I tell you this before?" Lia said, looking at him quizzically.

'_Oh, me and my stupid memory, I wish it could work like a damn computer… Wait! That would make me a cyborg! Or a Geth! Fuck that shit!' _"Oh yeah, I remember now. That's good, Shepard is a really good person, and his views are outstanding! He hates racism, just like I do" Luke said.

'_The only nice people I have met here' _"Yes, I saw that yesterday, it's good to see some people acting against it." She answered back.

"Well it looks like this is not junk at all, maybe some of this could be salvaged and used again, with some upgrades, we could make them just as new as they were two years ago" she said while looking at her omni tool.

Luke was looking at his sidearm, a Phalanx handgun, very reliable indeed. Something popped in his head, and had to ask. "So, did you get any weapon training in the flotilla?" Luke asked.

"Erm, yes, I received some special training, my father is a sergeant in the Quarian Marines." She answered, wondering why he asked. _'Oh! He was a soldier, no wonder'_

"Oh I've heard of those guys, really good soldiers. I've never seen them in action, but with the technology they have, I can't think of nothing else other than engineer soldiers, great combination" Luke said. Lia didn't answer; she was busy trying to scan other terminals and cables.

"So, I guess you would make a really beautiful assassin" Luke said chuckling.

Lia blushed. "Oh no! I'm not really into that kind of thing. I'm just an engineer, w… what did you say before the assassin thing?" She asked while fidgeting with her hands. Luke saw this, and thought it was very cute.

'_She's nervous. She's so cute when she does that with her fingers' _"I'm just messing around with you Lia. But it was meant as a compliment." He said, chuckling.

Lia could feel her cheeks burning. "Oh… Thank You, that means a lot coming from a soldier. Captain Bailey mentioned that you were an N7 Marine, I've heard about them, why did you leave them" she asked, trying to change the subject.

The mention of the N7 Marines brought back bad memories to Luke. Memories he wasn't willing to discuss. "Oh, I wanted to make a difference in the galaxy, so I wanted to be a detective at C-Sec to… you know, help people" Luke said, while stretching.

Lia sensed something wrong with his answer, but decided not to put pressure on him. _'There's something wrong when someone talks to him about his N7 experience.' _"Awww, how noble of you, well you can count me as one of the people helped in your list" she said, trying to cheer him up.

"Thank You, I'm glad I could help." He said. "So in the flotilla do you guys…" he tried to ask when a gunshot was heard in the background. He immediately went to cover and yelled at Lia. "Take cover! Stand behind me!"

"What's going on?" She asked loudly. Then several figures came out of the shadows. They started to surround them. One of them started yelling.

"Intruders! A C-Sec agent and a Quarian! Get them" one of them yelled, a Turian by his gurgling voice.

'_Ah shit, here we go' _Luke thought while checking his pistol. Lia was right behind him, clearly shaken from the situation. "Don't worry, well get out of here" Luke whispered to her. Then he gave a loud war cry and started shooting at the figures, which were getting closer…


	4. Chapter 4

Thank y'all; your reviews have been outstanding, making me much better at this. Special thanks to DarkDanny, you are awesome man, please keep it up with your reviews!

Chapter 4: The Spirit Within

It was chaos. Bullets, some explosions, and curses were heard constantly. Luke was busy trying to hold off the presumed gang members. Lia was pinned on the floor, forced by Luke to stay out of the battle. She was saying something, but Luke couldn't hear her. Then he was able to hear her say something…

"I'm an engineer! Let me help you bosh'tet!" Lia said as she forced herself up and started moving her omni tool like a toy. _'Oh, Keelah, don't fail on me'_

"Are you crazy? You're unarmed, get down!" Luke yelled at her as a bullet buzzed, close to her head, just beneath her visor. "Just overload their shields and I'll take care of the rest, but don't get up!" Luke said as he shot a human in the head, blowing his brains out. This earned another set of curses and more bullets from the criminals. _'I love this gun' _he thought.

"This is how it's done, bitches!" Luke screamed as a battle cry as he killed another one of them, this time a Salarian, by shooting him in the eye, green blood spreading everywhere. Lia just gave him a puzzled look as she was fidgeting with her omni tool.

"Who do you want me to overload his shields!" Lia screamed as she continued watching him. _'He's so brave, so focused on what he does'_

"The Turian in black and red armor, he's the leader" Luke answered, now very calm. Lia was shocked at how easy and tranquil he had become, like if this was life for him, yet he screamed and yelled when she got up and put herself in danger. This made Lia smile as she began to disable the Turian's shields.

"Excellent work Lia! Nice job!" Luke said as he shot the Turian leader, right in the head. "Bulls eye, asshole" Luke said as he aimed and killed another two, now the gang members were just two. The rest were dead or had deserted. Lia stared at Luke for a couple of seconds then went in shock as she saw blue energy destroying one of the criminals.

"You…You're a biotic?" Lia asked, shocked and confused. _'Oh Keelah, he's a biotic!'_ she thought.Luke just chuckled as he killed the last of the criminals with a badass head shot. He sighed, got up and gave Lia a hand for her to get up too.

"Yeah, I was in the Ascension Project, but that was years ago" Luke answered, chuckling, and, to some extent, bragging. "Well, I can tell you the whole story, but once we…" He trailed off as he saw a downed criminal get up and aim his sniper rifle at Lia. "Watch Out!" He yelled as he got in the way and was shot in the chest, which made him fall unconscious. Lia was shocked and enraged.

"Take this you bosh'tet!" She yelled as she took Luke's Phalanx pistol and wasted the whole clip on the human sniper, killing him instantly. She then rushed to Luke's side. "Luke! Luke! Don't leave me here, stay with me!" She yelled, but there was no response. She scanned him with her omni tool. She was a little relieved to see that he was still alive, but he was losing too much blood.

She then went on to carry him to the elevator, a little far, probably fifty yards. She was talking to him, trying to keep him alive, but no words served, he didn't respond. _'Please Luke; don't die on me, please, please…' _

A loud sound, sort of like a hiss, which doors made, sounded as Luke tried to look for something familiar. He realized he was in a hospital, but didn't see anybody there. Then, as he opened his eyes, he saw a couple of figures. A doctor, as he was scanning him, a Turian, a Human, and a Quarian. He sighed out of pain and fell back asleep…

"Luke, hey you asshole, can you hear me?" He heard a gurgling voice say. He knew the voice. It was none other than Mindus. "Get up you lazy ass dramatic bastard, you are okay now" Mindus said as he chuckled. "I was just kidding bro, rest." The Turian said as he left the room.

"No hey… ah god damn it, asshole" Luke said as he chuckled, finding himself alone in the room. He then heard another hiss at the door. He looked, and saw Lia, wringing her hands and looking at him, then down to the floor, as if ashamed.

"Luke… how are you?" She finally asked after seconds of awkward silence. _'Why would he risk his life for a Quarian?' _She thought as she looked at the floor once more. She feared that Luke would be mad at her.

"I'm good, just a little pain in my chest, but nothing more" he said as he smiled. Looking at her quizzically, he had to ask: "Why are you so nervous?"

Lia was taken off guard by the question, and she began to move her hands once more. "Erm, I'm sorry for being so useless and getting you shot in the process" she said, in a very sad, almost depressed tone. Luke was shocked.

"How can you say that! If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be here; you really helped with the overload of their shields!" Luke said as he tried to get up from bed. "Don't you ever underestimate yourself Lia" He said as he accommodated himself in the bed and asked a nurse for a cigarette, which was duly rejected.

"Thank you for… saving my life, thank you" Lia said as she sat down in one of the chairs, wringing her hands. She was still very nervous.

Luke chuckled and looked at her happily: "You know you look very cute when you do that with your hands" Luke said as he smiled.

Lia blushed almost instantly. _'He truly knows how to make me blush' _Lia thought as she stopped wringing her hands for her own good. She felt her face hot.

Luke could see this and stopped his teasing. "So Lia, what happened exactly? I don't remember anything other than a sniper aiming at you" he said, with a confused face.

"You saved her ass that's what you did" someone said as the door hissed. It was Bailey, who looked at Lia and nodded. Lia nodded back. "You saved her, but got a bullet in the chest and ended here. She carried you all the way to the station" Bailey said as he looked at Luke, who was amazed.

"Well, you are quite strong Miss Vael" Luke said. Lia blushed once again. Luke then asked the nurse: "Hey, when am I going to be able to get out of here?"

"In three days, Mr. de la Vega, well that's if you don't do anything stupid" she said with a smirk and left. Bailey then said goodbye and left, leaving only Lia and Luke.

"Hey Lia, would you bring me a cigarette, they are probably on my uniform over there in the chair" he said as he pointed to his uniform. Lia cocked her head to the side and laughed.

"Bosh'tet, you can't smoke when you are sick in the hospital" she said, laughing really hard. This made Luke chuckle and smile warmly.

"Hey, isn't that a word for 'assholes' in Khelish?" He asked, grinning. Lia was shocked. _'By the Ancestors! He knows about that'_

"Yes, but I'm only kidding with you" she said, looking down to the floor.

"Ha! Don't worry, I have been called worse, but I know, I know you are only kidding" Luke said as he began to look at her intensely.

"Lia, you were not wounded in the firefight right?" He asked, with a worried/ashamed face. _'Why didn't I ask her earlier? I'm really a boshtuet or whatever that is.'_

"Nothing, just scared… for y… for the firefight, it was really bad" she said as she stumbled over her words, making her blush. Luke looked at her confused, but just shrugged.

"Oh well, that's good, at least you were unharmed" he said. He was now deep in thought. _'Well, at least we got out of there, but now I have to clean that shit place before they get to her again, maybe…" _He trailed off as Lia asked him a question.

"I saw you fighting so bravely, so professional, you are a very good at combat, why did you leave the Alliance Military?" she asked, with a happy tone.

"Some other time" Luke said. He then changed the subject, this time to something interesting, as he checked his omni tool. "Hey, do you wanna go with me to a party with my friend Mindus, we are celebrating my survival in five days, what do you say?" He asked as he laughed.

'_Oh Keelah, is he asking me on a date? A human?' _She thought, but then shrugged it off. "Sure" was all she could say. _'Nah, it's just a celebration'_

"Excellent, I wanna drink myself to death after this." He said loudly. Lia just sighted.

"I'm not going to let you do that Luke" She said with a smirk. Luke just rolled his eyes.

"Just what I needed, a babysitter" he said loudly while grinning.

Luke then started watching Lia closely. _'Damn, she looks fine' _he thought as she looked at her petite, almost goddess like form. He was amazed by how beautiful she looked. Lia then looked at him quizzically, confused. Luke turned and blushed. _'Damn it, now she's going to think I'm a pervert' _

"Something wrong?" Lia asked as she looked at him.

"Not at all Lia" Luke said as he looked at her once again. _'Come on dumb ass, she's a Quarian, why the hell would you think she would date a human?' _Luke sighted and rested his head onto the pillow, slowly drifting to the land of dreams.

'_He saved me from a crazy Turian, got me a job, and saved me from certain death. He's so dashing, so… No! I can't think like that! I must focus, he's Human, I'm a Quarian, it will never work' _Lia sighted as she looked at Luke, sound asleep.

She smiled and began to look into her omni tool, the video she recorded through her helmet of the firefight… Looking how Luke fought off the criminals and killed them one by one. _'He's so brave'_

Tell me what you guys think. Please review. Thanks to y'all, you are the workhorse here. KEEP IT UP!


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for the delay guys, Algebra, projects and more school bullcrap have kept me away from my story, but here you will have another chapter! Enjoy. Any suggestions are greatly welcomed.

Chapter 5: Memories

"So, before Mindus comes to complain, or Kolyat to stare at me with his weird eyes, could you explain to me how in the hell I ended up in the hospital?" Luke asked, with a huge grin, but he was being serious. He needed details. "And I want a cigarette! Anyone? Can I have one?"

Lia shook her head. _'Smoking in a hospital, nice Luke, very nice' _"Well, it's a long story…" she replied, trying to drop the subject but Luke wanted to know. _'I don't want to embarrass you' _

"Come on Lia! It can't be that bad." He told her with a smile.

With a sigh, Lia began the long story… "Okay, we were….

*FLASHBACK*

"Luke! Talk to me!" Lia shouted to Luke as she tried to hold off the last criminal. The criminal, a human, began to run towards her, shouting unknown words at Lia. "This is for Luke!" She shouted as she shot the criminal in the chest, dropping him to the floor in an instant. She then gave a look at the pistol._ 'Luke knows how to choose weapons' _

Lia shook her head. _'You stupid girl, he's dying! We have to get him out of here!' _She then grabbed Luke, with his head on her back and, with the amazing force Quarians possess in their legs, she began to make a run for the nearest elevator, which was, at least, fifty yards away. She was very, very fast.

"Luke, you have to talk to me!" Lia shouted hysterically at the wounded Luke, who was incredibly knocked out. She then looked back, just for a mere second, and saw shadows moving towards the bodies of the criminals or thugs. _'Hope they don't get near us' _

"Stupid bosh'tet! Answer me!" She was losing it. Luke was the only alien to have showed her kindness and respect, which she really admired from him. His most amazing feat, however, according to Lia, was his smile, capable of lighting up a room. Losing him would mean like losing a really good friend…

"Li…a…" Then a weak answer came, so weak that Lia barely heard it, even with the audio enhancements Quarian suits have. She was less than ten yards away from the elevator, and she was not going to stop just to talk to him, he was badly wounded, and needed attention. She was no medic; she had to take him to the hospital ASAP.

"Hold on Luke, we are close to getting out of here!" Lia shouted at him, but received no response. She tried to ignore it so that she could get him out of that filthy place and take him to the surface.

She then tapped the buttons of the elevator, closed the doors and the slow process of going to the surface began. Lia was so stressed and mad at the elevators, so slow. At least, the elevator was going to directly take them to the C-Sec station.

Lia then put Luke on the ground slowly and carefully. Then, she checked his wound. _'Ancestors! Please save him!' _It was pretty bad. He was shot in the chest and he was bleeding profusely. If it wasn't for the tourniquet Lia applied to the wound, he would have died already. By the wounds, it looked like a shotgun wound.

"Stupid elevator! Hurry up!" Lia shouted. They were close, but damn! It was slow! Lia even considered hacking the controls of the elevator to make it faster, but went against it. She knew that a mistake would cost Luke's life. She then sat down and began looking for more wounds in Luke's body.

Then, she heard something in her ear. "Lia! What the fuck is going on! Where are you guys?" Yes, it had to be Mindus. That crazy bastard was looking for Luke, probably to make a party or something. Lia was pissed. "Listen you bastard! Luke was shot and he's badly wounded, we are making our way to the surface, you better have an ambulance before he bleeds to death!" She replied, fury in her voice. _'Bosh'tet, he better have everything ready'_

"Why didn't you call us before? What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you retarded or something?" Mindus replied, pissed. He was overprotective of Luke, Lia had seen it just after entering C-Sec.

"There are no communications ten floors down you stupid Turian!" She replied with fire. "Now, is everything ready? Any minute now, and we'll be in the surface!"

"Yes! Yes! Everything is ready! Shit! Let me get the medical team to elevator, Mindus out"

The elevator then stopped, and several seconds passed. Lia was beginning to think that the elevator had gotten stuck. Suddenly, the doors opened, and paramedics flooded the small, already crowded elevator. She was put aside and checked by a Human paramedic.

"He's the one wounded" Lia told the paramedic. He nodded and rushed to Luke's side. Mindus was cursing and throwing tantrums at the paramedics and medical staff.

"Can't you hurry? Take him to the hospital!"

"Sir, we have to stabilize him first!"

"Just hurry the fuck up!"

Mindus was getting annoying, and now his greenish, cloudy eyes were fixed on Lia. _'What is he going to do?' _Lia thought.

When Mindus was about to talk to Lia, Kolyat arrived and started talking to him. By the move of his hands and face, he was trying to calm Mindus down. Captain Bailey got there too, and the three were talking in low voices. Then, they fixed their eyes on Lia.

Bailey walked slowly towards her. By her body language, Bailey could tell she was shaken and worried. "Lia, what happened down there?" Bailey asked in a calm voice, which shook Lia. She was expecting nothing less than a reprimand, if not some shouts and her being fired from her job.

"We… we were attacked by thugs" Lia answered in a low voice.

"Look kid, I'm not here to shout at you, what you just did was damn impressive and brave" he replied calmly, in an assuring voice.

"I just don't want him to die" was all that could Lia answer. Bailey smiled and patted her in the back.

"Don't worry Lia, he's strong, I know he'll be fine"

…

Lia arrived to the hospital along with Kolyat and Mindus. All had been really quiet in the ride on the police cab, no one dared to talk, not even Mindus, who was driving. It was like if a rat stole their tongues, and Lia was getting nervous, fidgeting her hands all the way.

Finally, as they were walking to the hospital, the Drell, who saw Lia's body language, broke the silence. "Lia, I'm sorry for what happened. If this makes you feel better, none of us blame you" he said in a calm voice.

"Yeah erm…I'm sorry for my outburst, I just, I just can't lose my best friend" Mindus said, eyes focused on the busy life of the hospital, but looked at Lia for less than a second before dropping eye gaze.

"Thank you, and don't worry Mindus, I don't hold any grudge against you, now let's just go find out how Luke is" Lia replied.

"Right" both men answered.

They had to go to the reception, where they gave them all clearance to talk to the doctor who was in charge of Luke's case.

Finally, the doctor rushed to their side. A Salarian.

"Hello, good to see you. Luke just got out of surgery; he's going to be fine, talk to you later" The doctor smiled, then bowed in respect and left in a hurry.

Lia smiled behind her mask. Kolyat's smile widened. Mindus did what some would describe as a 'shit yeah' gesture.

"Can we go visit him?" Lia asked, breaking the silence. The two men then looked at each other.

"I'll get some booze" Mindus said and disappeared. _'So much for friends huh?' _Lia chuckled.

"I will go with you, but I will only stay for a couple of minutes before I begin my shift" Kolyat said, smiling at Lia with his black, deep eyes. _'Creeeepy' _

"Okay, let's go find him" Lia replied, and the two made their way to Luke's room, provided by the doctor through his omni-tool, along with a message.

'_He's in room 132. You can visit him now but no talking or bothering him, he needs to rest and will probably wake up tomorrow. I will not tolerate you and your friends bothering my patient. Good Luck._

_Dr. Mir Daeli._

Kolyat and Lia chuckled with the message and the two made their way to the room.

Finally, Kolyat opened the door for Lia, and the two entered, seeing a nurse and the Salarian doctor, Daeli, setting up some fluids to keep Luke hydrated. Daeli then saw them and started talking. "As I said earlier, no talking or bothering, or else will kick you out" He then grabbed a syringe and left.

The nurse, an Asari, smiled and gestured them at some chairs available in the room. The two nodded and sat down, with Lia looking at Luke. She sighed and looked to the floor.

"He got in the way… he saved me" Lia said to no one. Kolyat looked at her and smiled.

"Don't blame yourself, he saved you, and that's all that matters" he commented.

"It's my fault he's there, in that bed, wounded…helpless"

"He saved you for a reason Lia"

"I knew that, when I met him, he was not like the rest of the people here in the Citadel, racist and ignorant" she said and then, smiled under her mask.

Kolyat smiled and patted her in the back. "Well, you take care of him for me, I have to go, and I'm sure Mindus will be here in a little bit, he's probably on his Operation Booz" Kolyat said, smiling.

Lia chuckled. _'An alcoholic Turian, that's a new one' _

Kolyat smiled, then bowed and left. Lia was now alone with her hero, her savior and friend.

Lia smiled, went to the bed and looked at Luke's face. She was looking at him and noticed that she was holding his hand. The nurse giggled and left, probably to give her some privacy.

Lia noticed the nurse leaving and blushed fiercely, immediately letting go of Luke's hand. She then started walking to her chair when she looked back at Luke, who was still asleep. "I knew you had a golden heart"

Reviews are welcomed! Hope you enjoyed it!


	6. Chapter 6

Review and Enjoy guys!

Chapter 6: Rest

"…and that's all that happened" finished Lia, taking some much needed breathing and moving her feet back and forth.

Luke was smiling broadly. "So, I was saved by a small Quarian eh?" he said, with a huge grin.

"Hey! I may be small, but I am just as strong as any of you Humans or Turians or whatever!" She said, chuckling. _'First asking for a cigarette, now joking? Luke is just out of this Galaxy'_

"Ha! You Quarians would be excellent soccer players; you would make the Sport much more powerful. I mean your legs, they're so strong…" Luke trailed off and began to look a little nervous. _'What the hell was that, dumbass?' _

Lia started blushing and silence fell into the room. Both were smiling, but there was nothing to say, nothing except… "Hey! Where's Mindus?" _'Of course, the Turian heavy drinker' _Lia thought, chuckling.

"He said he was going for a few drinks, he'll probably be here in a little while" Lia answered.

"Hey, do you have a cigarette? Damn nurses don't want to give me one!"

"Ahhhh, remember? Quarian suits and weak immune system? Ring a bell?" Lia said, shocked with herself. _'Did I just use sarcasm with my life savior?'_

Luke gave a loud, hearty laugh. "Yeah, you're right, but I'm craving for one, haven't smoked since… well, since we went to those damn slums" His eyes then had a spark, as if having an idea. "Oh, I have an idea to make this better, do you like music?" He asked.

"Yes, yes I do" Lia answered. She did like music, like the ones found on clubs, with lots of moving and a rhythm that would make anyone crazy enough to dance, all night. So yeah, she did like music.

"Hell yeah! Let's put some music then!" Luke said with enthusiasm and activated his omni tool. _'Damn! I'm so awesome; I guess convincing the nurse to at least leave me my omni tool was a good idea'_

Luke then proceeded to put some old song. Lia was shocked; she had never listened to that kind of music. She was not familiar with human culture, much less their music. However, she felt drawn to it, particularly the lyrics of the song. Luke looked like a child on a field trip, excited and…happy.

The rhythm was all smooth and really calm. The temptation to ask about the song was too much, but seeing how Luke enjoyed the song, she decided against it and listened to the song.

_Just a small town girl,_

_Living in a lonely world,_

_She took the midnight train going anywhere_

_Just a city boy, _

_Born and raised in South Detroit_

_He took the midnight train going anywhere_

Finally she asked. "What kind of music is that?" She was shocked, but she kinda liked it. Luke looked so happy, but then stopped the music. He was eager to give an explanation.

"It's an oldie I like. It's probably a little more than 250 years old" he said with a smirk, shocking Lia. "It's from a band called Journey, I really like their music, if you listen to the song you'll get the message I'm trying to give you" he added, looking at Lia with clear, powerful green eyes.

Lia stared at his powerful, deep eyes for at least five seconds, then turned immediately the other way and blushed furiously. '_What the hell were you thinking!'_ She could see that Luke was still looking at her. She decided to just continue with the song, as his eyes were getting more intense on her. _'Keelah, is he checking up on me?'_

"Could you continue with the song? I kinda like it" She asked, not looking at him, she was still blushing, and playing with her fingers.

Luke found her really cute. She was wringing her hands, and looking down to the floor. Luke then proceeded to play the song. _'She's so cute' _He then realized he was looking at her too much, blushing a little.

Lia found it shocking to see him blush, but oh well, there was something going. The song, however, distracted them; thank God or gods or whatever.

_A singer in a smoky room_

_The smell of wine and cheap perfume_

_For a smile they can share the night_

_It goes on and on and on and on._

_Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard_

_Their shadows searching in the night_

_Streetlight people, living just to find emotion_

_Hiding somewhere in the night_

As the song continued its course, Lia heard Luke sing along with the song. She found it cute for a tough, ex military man to be singing.

Luke then saw Lia looking at him. He knew the part of the song, the message was coming. "Lia, listen to this part" he said, smiling.

That smile, it always made Lia feel happy, calm, secure… positive.

_Don't stop believing_

_Hold onto that feeling_

_Streetlight, people…_

She didn't get it though. She was confused and really disappointed. "What was the message?" she asked, like a child asking why it was that way.

Luke smiled warmly, and tilted his head to the side. "I thought you Quarians had audio enhancements on your suits" he teased.

"Ha! At least we have them, I can hear much better than you or any other human out there. I just didn't get the message of the song, that's all" She replied, playfully.

"Well, the first time I saw you, you looked so…lost, sad. You looked like if you were in pain." He explained. "You're amazing, intelligent and strong willed, Lia. You should be proud of who you are, of your people, of your strong, beautiful bonds with others in the Flotilla. Hold onto that feeling, Lia, and you will always be…happy" Luke finished, looking with his fierce, yet calming eyes at Lia.

Lia was stunned. What she just heard from Luke, a human, really opened her mind. While she was looked down upon by other people, she was proud of who she was, of her people. She was blushing, yet greatly moved by his words. Still, she couldn't picture Luke saying those kind words. _'Is he saying those things because of the drugs given to him?'_

"T-Thank You" was all she could muster to say.

She was blushing, but it was a good blush. She was not used to compliments, much less from someone outside of her species. She had gotten used to people insulting her, yelling at her, calling her all types of names that would make someone cry, yet he was different, so different. She wanted to change the subject though, before doing something stupid.

"Erm… Luke, I wanted to ask you something" _'What are you doing Lia? Where are you going with this?"_

"Sure Lia, what is it?" he smiled warmly at her. He then unconsciously started analyzing her body. Legs, then her petite and extremely attractive waist. _'What the hell are you doing? Don't be a perv.'_

"How do you know so much about us quarians?" _'Phew, good girl'_

"Well, like I told you before when we first met, I had a friend, when I was in the military, who loved to research about other species. So eager and curious, very smart." He answered. "She was very interested in both quarians and humans. Similar species, yet different amino acids and cultures. Humans driven by ambition, power. Quarians by survival, unity and family. Beautiful…" he trailed off. He then looked down, his face suddenly sad.

Lia noticed he was now looking down, and she could see a tear falling from his cheek, into the cover of the bed. "She was special?"

Luke smiled. "She was my best friend. Very friendly and open minded. She was just… a great friend, the best I've had"

"Where is she?" The words came from Lia before she could stop them. She was about to ask for forgiveness when Luke started talking. _'Oh no! He told me about this earlier. He's going to get sad! Good job Lia'_

"She…passed away. She died in a pirate attack a few years ago in Truba. Didn't I tell you this before? Nah, probably not." He answered.

"I'm so sorry Luke, I didn't mean to…" she stopped as Luke gave her a dismissive hand gesture.

"No, don't, people suffer losses in life. It's just that… well, she didn't deserve it, that's all" He then tried to change the subject. "Anyway, I want to know about your parents. Who are they?"

"Well, my father is a quarian marine, one of the best" She said proudly. "He trains new recruits, and my mother is an engineering specialist." She finished. "What about your parents?" She asked.

"My father is a business man, his name is Rafael de la Vega" he answered. Then added "My mother, her name was Maria, she was an architect, one of the best. They both loved each other so much."

"How are they?"

"My mother died on Illium, an accident with some kind of transport. My father was devastated by the news, first time I saw him crying." He said. "I was very sad too; I remember I was barely signing up to join the Alliance military, when I got the news. I saw my father's eyes at the funeral. I saw… a shell. Like, he was not there, his soul was not there, just… the body…the shell"

Luke was close to break down and cry. He loved his parents, but one had already passed, and the other was not there anymore. Lia knew what he was talking about, and she was really sad for her new friend. She had to offer some support, there was no other way.

"When quarians bond with their lifemate, is for our whole lives" She started explaining, eager to share. "We share our souls with the lifemate, and become one, so strong that nothing can break through it" She said. "But when one of them dies, the other has the risk of becoming insane, and, like you said, a shell, no emotions, only rage and sorrow are left in their bodies" She explained and looked at Luke, who was smiling weakly at her, paying attention.

"Your parents loved each other so much, that their souls were shared, and that's what caused your father to become this way" She finished.

A devious smile appeared on Luke. "So, Miss Vael, any suitors back at the Flotilla?" He smiled at her.

"Oh…No! Oh no! I'm barely on my Pilgrimage, and there still… a lot of time to decide!" She said. _'This is so embarassing'_

"Relax Lia, I was just joking, but I'm sure you have some guys over there drooling for you" He said, smiling.

"Well, I heard that Tali'Zorah had a lot of suitors, but rejected most of them, and those who were not able to get near her had to stand against Commander Shepard! Wow! I can't believe the great Commander Shepard had a crush on a quarian, but Tali was so obvious about him…How could a quarian and a human end up together?" She wondered, eager to change the conversation.

"Look, love does not have borders or frontiers or limitations. Is infinite, powerful and mighty, nothing can stop it. Like my mother used to say 'Love cannot be stopped, only delayed, and that will only make it stronger' she was so wise"

Lia was touched by his words. _'So positive, poetic, even handsome… Lia! What are you thinking? Get back on your feet!'_

Lia then got a devilish smile of her own. Even though Luke couldn't see it, he was sure she was planning a full offensive against him, and he was not wrong.

"So, Mr. de la Vega, any women you have on your sights?"

Luke only smiled, and then blushed. _'Come on, men don't blush!'_

"Well erm… no, just, well, I had a few dates, but nothing serious. Last time I had a girlfriend was in the military and didn't go too well hehe."

"So, no women out there for you?" Lia kept teasing and asking, though somewhere, she wanted to know…. Badly.

"I believe that there is a mate, or a lifemate like you call them, out there, waiting. I just want to meet her and make her happy for the rest of her days"

If Lia didn't wear a helmet, she would be making an aww face, but she was just giggling. _'Awwww, he's so cute'_

Before Lia could ask another question to the ever smiling Luke, there was a big noise from the door. It was opened, and a big man stepped in.

"You didn't miss me right?" Came an all familiar voice.

Mindus was standing by the door, like a soldier ready for battle, all badass, with a 12 pack of beer and 2 bottles, one of turian whiskey, one of tequila. And, to the side where his pistol is supposed to be, a big pack of cigarettes. Lia was shocked at the party – maniac like turian, it looked like he was going to a party that would last for weeks. _'Alcoholic bosh'tet' _she thought, chuckling.

"Oh, you know I always miss you" Luke answered, grinning after seeing all the alcohol and his so precious cigarettes. It was time to have some fun after so much shit.

Mindus sat in a chair next to Lia and began to talk about the bullshit he went through to pass the alcohol into the hospital.

"I had to show my badge man, it was so annoying, I had to tell them this were supplies for the hospital, don't know how they believed me, but here I am" he finished, laughing hard.

Lia attentively listened as the two friends chatted and drank together, toasted and laughed. She would also talk a few times, but she was mostly watching. Seeing Luke so happy, so active and positive brought her a great warm feeling to her heart, which she noticed. _'I guess I know what this means'_

Authors Note: Hope you liked it. Sorry for getting it late, but finals have been taking my life away. Review and tell me what you think.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Mindus' Big Fucking Adventure

"Explain that shit again, how the hell did you get all this booze inside the freaking hospital?" Luke asked out loud. Mindus was staring at him and Lia was just listening. She had been laughing at their conversation for the past fifteen minutes.

"Shut the fuck up Luke, do you want the nurses or that freaky salarian doctor or the fucking guards a few doors away to hear you?" Mindus answered while drinking whiskey and trying to lit up a cigarette with his talons. Lia found it extremely amusing at how the turian knew all the curse words in English, the language of humanity. "Goddamn it, this cigarette is taking part of my life away here!"

"I know Luke you were kind of loud, but indeed Mindus, how did you get all of this through the hospital?" Lia asked softly. She wanted to hear the full might of Mindus' bullshit.

"Well, it looks like you shitheads want to hear, so I'll begin my story, but first" Mindus then punched Luke in the arm.

"Arg! What the hell was that for dumbass?"

"That's for making us both worry about you" Lia just giggled softly.

"Alright, alright, just begin with your fantasy shit, I feel like laughing my ass off"

Lia was laughing out loud at how these two stooges were not good, but best friends. A turian and a human, who could believe it? Different species, yet same heavy drinkers and party goers, they even made the First Contact War look like an incident that was either too old to remember, or that it never happened. _'I guess friendship doesn't have boundaries either' _she thought. She smiled at them, looking at the true power of friendship... and bullshit at its finest. _'They are so funny'_

"Alright screw heads, but do not interrupt, no matter what, I'm a badass story teller and I don't get interrupted, here's what happened…"

/

Mindus was scratching his head with his talon. He had to be a military genius now. He had to be smart and daring. And also a pretty lucky son of a bitch. He knew the risks, but the prize was too much to be ignored. He had to learn from ancient history. _'Shit, why in the Spirits name did I have to fail History… in the fucking army' _Nah, never mind.

He then stepped into a store. A turian was there arguing with a human about how his store was the best of the best. Mindus just rolled his eyes and looked for the precious cargo he was so eager to purchase. _'So many to choose, yet I'm a badass, and I know what is what, and what I'm taking' _

He was then greeted by the turian that was bragging about his store. "Welcome to Zakera Goods and Café! The best store in the whole Citadel! What can I do for you sir?" He asked politely.

"Yeah do you have Turian Axerius Whiskey and Human Tequila of Don Julio?" Mindus asked.

"Yes sir we do! Although the human tequila would be a little expensive, damn taxes you know, imported and too much alcohol… for humans" the clerk said chuckling.

"Its fine, just give a bottle of each, and a 12 pack of beer, Heineken, six for dextro, six for amino" Mindus finished, catching his breath. _'Ah shit, I can't wait to taste this'_

"Right away sir" The bragging clerk said and went to get the merchandise. Mindus then, like an eagle catching its prey with its powerful vision, saw the cigarettes both him and Luke enjoyed so much. Human cigarettes to be exact, but friendly acid. _'I feel like having a cigarette with a lot of alcohol, my body needs it'_

Mindus then overheard a conversation between a human and a krogan. He was thrilled at how the towering krogan was so interested into talking with the small human. Both looked like partners or friends or…. something, but it was weird. He had to hear what they were saying though.

"So did you see the huge black out yesterday man?" Asked the human, looking at the krogan as if looking at a statue, tall and imposing.

"Nah, everything was dark" Grumbled the big krogan.

Mindus had to laugh out loud. _'Stupid people, funny, but stupid' _

Krogan are known for their combat capabilities, but for their intelligence? Nah, but what about the human? Humans are supposed to be extremely intelligent, yet this one was breaking all the galactic records of the biggest dumbfuck in Mindus' mind, well both individuals.

Finally, the clerk appeared, drifting Mindus off his stupid thinking. "Sir, here you go, your Don Julio, and your Axerius, now let me get the beer…"

"Can you add a pack of Mapplerton friendly cigs please?" Asked Mindus. He was alredy getting tired of just standing there. He wanted to go get wasted ASAP!

"Of course sir" The clerk answered and went for both products. He put the cigarettes on the counter before getting the special six pack for the weird turian. The clerk had to ask.

"Human girlfriend?" He asked with a smirk on his face.

Mindus just looked at him and then laughed. "Yeah right, no, a human buddy, he's in the hospital right now, and he needs his medicine" he said with a smirk on his face, pointing at the merchandise. The clerk just laughed and nodded.

"And with all it will be two hundred credits" Mindus chuckled, gave him his credit chit and was about to go when the clerk said something to him that made him stop.

"Good luck getting all of this into the hospital, it's going to be pretty damn hard" the clerk said, chuckling.

"I'll manage to get this precious cargo through, thanks" Mindus said, then waved the clerk as he left the store. Now, the point of no return was coming. The hour of reckoning. He had to do it, for the sake of Luke's well being. Yeah right. _'Shit, ever since Luke was rushed to the hospital, no alcohol has entered my system, and I need to repay my system for mistreating it'_ Now, it was time to change that. He then started walking towards the hospital, which was pretty close.

Mindus then saw a bench, close to the hospital, where he sat down and began doing some plans for Operation Drunk Hospital. Yes, it seemed impossible even for the greatest military and infiltrator mind, but in his Mindus' mind he knew it was possible. It had to be. All of his years in the military had to pay off.

Mindus' eyes then shined with wisdom, determination and courage. He had an idea, a great one. _'Ha! Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great can all suck by balls and lick my ass four times before asking for more, bunch of retards compared to me' _

After making fun of the greatest military leaders in human history, he got his bags, put them in one hand, and his wallet in the other hand, and proceeded with Operation Drunk Hospital. _'All units hehe, Operation Drunk Hospital is a go, repeat is a go'_

The doors opened, and Mindus had to look for any threats. Like a good soldier, he began scanning the room and people around him, any threats or dangers in his 'highly classified mission' would be utterly put down. Sure buddy.

He knew where to go, but there would be guards, and some of the most annoying. As Luke was a C-Sec agent that was shot, he had to be protected against any threats, and so Bailey had put three officers, two turians and a human. Raw recruits to be exact, rookies. Those who take their job too seriously. _'Those assholes shit in their pants if a fly passes by them, I can't picture what would they do if the fucking fly touches them' _He was damn sure that he would not be stopped as his high ranking C-Sec status would leave him untouched. _'Mindus, you're the shit. Can't get it why you were never a general. Guess you were too good for that'_

As he proceeded to the room, he was first stopped by a nurse. Human, blonde, very attractive by human standards and making a face of 'what the fuck are you carrying and why.' Mindus had to be cold and ruthless, like a general on a campaign that would decide the faith of his civilization. "Yes ma'am, what can I do for you?" Mindus asked as the nurse looked at him with intense and deep blue eyes. He was impressed, if she was trained, she could make him shit on his pants at will.

"Mindus, just what the fuck are you carrying in there?" She asked bluntly.

Mindus was shocked. She not only said a bad word but also knew his name. _'All forces, prepare for the incoming assault!' _"Ahhh, I'm sorry ma'am, but I don't know you and how do you know me?"

"Dance club? Flux? Less than two weeks ago? You and your really gorgeous friend were there drinking, where me and my friend Duxta met you" She answered.

'_Duxta, ah shit' _Mindus was close to piss on himself. _'I hate that bitch' _Duxta was a female turian that had been crazy about Mindus for a while. While it was cute and charming to be wanted by a woman, she was fucking crazy. Mindus hated her with a passion. She was both annoying and a complete stalker, plus she hated Luke. Why? It was a mystery, but she didn't stop teasing or giving nasty looks to Luke whenever she had the chance. And this nurse, named Stephanie, wanted Luke, like bad.

'_Guess we were too drunk to remember these bitches after that night'_ "Oh yeah, erm how is she?" was all that came out of his mouth. He wanted to flee, but his feet could not move. _'We are pinned down by enemy fire, heavy artillery and mortars!'_

"Oh she's good, and all, but tell me what's on your bag?" Replied Stephanie while her eyes scanned Mindus' mysterious cargo. _'We are taking heavy casualties!'_

"Erm….supplies! Yeah supplies for Luke, medicines for his pains in the stomach and head you know" _'Flank them at the right! Suppressive fire at 2 o'clock and stop staring at the bitch like an idiot!'_

"Yeah and I'm the Queen of Rome and married to Commander Shepard, what have you got there?"

'_What the fuck is Rome?' _"…..Look this is awkward, I may have some… alcohol here"

"Are you fucking crazy Mindus, giving alcohol to a patient and getting him drunk? Have you lost your damn mind?" She snapped, looking at him coldly.

"Oh come on, you gotta help me, please, I want to spend a day with my best friend with good medicine" He said, pointing at the booze in his bag. _'Ah shit, didn't I do this before? Fucking déjà vu'_

"Oh yes of course, and I'll endanger Luke, plus losing my job for helping a retard like you? Are you an imbecile Mindus?"

'_Don't test my patience assbitch! Wait, is that even a word? Oh fuck me' _"Come on, there's gotta be an agreement we can both get, I'll help you with something, anything you want, if you help me. I'm a C-sec agent you know? You want someone arrested? Talk me up" _'All forces, incoming! Missiles and heavy rockets!'_

"Anything?" She asked mischievously. Mindus had a bad feeling about this.

"Yeah, anything, help me pass through those stooges at the entrance to Luke's room and I'll help you with anything"

"Alright, get me a date with Luke, and you get one with Duxta, and you're on, deal?" She said, power in her voice and stance. Mindus was trembling for his life. It was like giving his soul, not selling, no, giving it away for free, to the devil, but it felt worse, much worse... His ancestors would be laughing at him right now. _'Ah, shit why me? Why not some other fucking turian?'_

Mindus hesitated and his mandibles moved relentlessly. It was either a deal or GTFO. "Fine" was all he could say. He was in deep shit, he knew that, and it was just going to get worse.

"Good, give me your fucking booze and we can move through those guards and you'll get your little party" she said while grabbing his supplies and a syringe from her pocket.

Mindus just nodded nervously. He then followed her through to Luke's room, closely guarded by those three rookies.

Finally, they made it. One of the turians stepped closer and scanned them quickly before finally opening his mouth.

"Hello fellow agent, ma'am, what can we do for you?" He asked politely. He then looked at Mindus, who was glaring at the agent. _'Fellow agent? Dumbass, I'm higher ranking than you! Stephanie better not screw this up'_

"Hello officer, I'm Stephanie Carter and this is C-Sec detective Mindus Castrus, and we are here to administer Mr. De la Vega his medicine, he has been in a lot of pain lately" Answered Stephanie.

The agent looked at the syringe and just nodded. "Alright, you can go through ma'am and you too" He replied while looking at Mindus.

Mindus shot his fellow turian a powerful glare before saying "You know I'm higher ranking than you, so either show up some respect or I'll kick you in the ass so hard you'll be shiting through your mouth"

The officers were shaken by Mindus' outburst. They immediately saluted and let him go through. Stephanie laughed while walking towards Luke's room. Mindus laughed too and went on to the room, which was about twenty yards away from the guards. _'I'm starting to hate this hospital with a passion'_

Stephanie stopped at Luke's room door and left the bag close to it. She then glared at Mindus. "Remember we have a deal, so you either do it, or I will tell your superior officer of this shit" she said while pointing at the huge bag of booze standing by the door.

"Yes I know, don't worry, I'll do my best" he replied while taking the stuff from the floor. He was in deep shit. Luke was going to get pissed…

"I didn't do this to do your best, but for you to DO IT!" She replied angrily and left.

'_Fucking bitch' _He thought and then proceeded to watch Luke through a small window in the door, and saw him, while in bed, looking at Lia, scanning her. Lia was looking away and acting….embarrassed? Perhaps. _'What shit are you getting into Luke?'_

He then opened the door and said "You didn't miss me do you?"

/

"What the fuck did you just do?"

Luke was shocked and really angry. He hated both Duxta and Stephanie. He knew Stephanie wanted him, and badly. The problem was that he hated her, not because she was bad or anything. She was very good looking, yes, but she just tried too hard, never gave up, being annoying to be exact. Same shit with Duxta on Mindus. Oh God, this was getting bad.

Lia was shocked and a little terrified with Luke's outburst. When she heard of the woman, called Stephanie, being interested in Luke, somehow she got a feeling she never knew she had. She was jealous, deep inside of her. She won't admit it but there it was.

She quickly dismissed it as just what a friend would feel for a fellow good friend, but there was something that didn't feel right. _'Yeah right, you know you want him but can't admit it! How could you be falling for a human Lia? You are seriously going down with this' _Lia then looked to the floor, sad because she was developing feelings for Luke, and couldn't do a thing to stop them from growing.

After throwing thousands of curses at Mindus in an amazing rant, he finally started showing some signs of relaxation. Suddenly, he started laughing and said "Well, I get out tomorrow, and you are probably making me walk back to the hospital in a few days"

Lia looked at him quizzically while Mindus just nodded nervously and chuckled. "Why is he going to make you come to the hospital again? Lia asked softly.

"Because if I go to that date, I'll probably end up being spaced or murdered by a gunshot, cuz I can't freakin wait to blow her off" Luke said chuckling. Lia just laughed out loud.

Mindus then took a sip of his whiskey and said "Well, at least you're getting out tomorrow! What are you going to do in celebration? A party I presume?"

"Damn Mindus, that's a given, but I was also thinking of a friend reunion. Hey Lia, you wanna go to Flux to get some drinks and dance?" Luke asked all excited.

Lia then remembered what happened with the crazy turian racist bartender and her near death. She shivered and thought of saying no to the invitation. Then, however, she remembered how Luke saved her, and right after that, got her a job, probably saving her more times than he thought. _'I want to go and see if he can dance' _She thought mischievously and smiled warmly under her helmet.

"Sure, I'll go"


	8. Chapter 8

Hey people! Sorry for taking too long. New Years, then sister's birthday, now applying for study abroad in Korea. Yeah, my life, but here you go! This chapter is for you guys.

Joey, this story is rated M, so think about it, what will I do, what can be done hehehehe : )

Chapter 8: The Whole Truth

Luke had been complaining to the doctor about not letting him go for the last fifteen minutes. Mindus had left to work with Lia. However, Lia's shift ended and got back to the hospital to check on Luke, with two hours remaining for his freedom.

"Doc, come on, you know I can leave already!" Exclaimed Luke, tired of being stuck in the hospital.

"Nonsense! Have to follow hospital regulations, you will leave at exactly two o'clock in the afternoon" said Dr. Daeli, who had been very patient with Luke's rants and screams of freedom.

"That is just in two fucking hours!"

"Well, wait for two hours and you are out Mr. De la Vega" Dr. Daeli said as he began walking out of the room. He then stopped and turned, eyes fixed on Luke. "Good luck Mr. de la Vega, Miss. Vael" He nodded at both and then left, leaving both Lia and Luke alone, who was staring at the door. Lia was just laughing at the situation.

"Luke, don't worry, we can do something in the mean time, do you want to… How do you humans say it?" she began as she watched Luke pacing back and forth, but stopped in his tracks and looked at her, smiling. "Oh yes! Play a game?"

Luke laughed loudly and nodded. "Yes, exactly Miss. Vael, you are a quick learner, how nice" he smirked as he looked at her. He then sat right next to her and asked "So, what do you wanna play Lia?"

Lia had been thinking about it for at least five minutes. She wanted to get to know Luke a lot more, so she thought of a good game Quarian children would often play.

"Well, there's this game, called Haridimas, which is basically to ask and answer questions honestly" She said as she looked at Luke, who was looking at her eyes.

'_Is she trying to get to know me better? Hmmmm, good, I want this too' _Luke thought as he smiled warmly and nodded. "Alright Lia, let's play your game"

Lia then turned her chair and faced Luke, who was smiling, as usual. _'Think Lia, think, a good question to start and start this off smoothly'_

"What's your favorite kind of music?" She asked softly.

"Good question, well, I basically love classic music, human classic music to be exact. Music groups like The Beatles, Journey, the one you heard, Metallica, which is basically heavy metal, or heavy rock, Green Day, Pink Floyd, Rammstein, Beethoven, Wagner etc etc etc" Luke finished as he tried catching his breath. "Sorry, I'm not a fast talker" he said as he chuckled.

Lia was already memorizing the names of the bands he mentioned to make some research on them on the net. Now, however, it was time for Luke to launch his attack, and Lia knew she had to prepare.

"Alright Lia, do you like to dance?" Luke asked, with a smirk on his face.

"Erm, yes, I do, but I'm personally not that good at it" Lia said as she chuckled nervously. "But I manage to do it fairly" she finished.

Luke began a quick scan of her body, going from her toes to her head. Before she could interrupt his eyes, he began talking. "Well, with that body of yours, I'm sure you don't manage, but win, plus attracting all the males, drooling all over for you" He said warmly.

Lia felt blood moving to her cheeks at a tremendous pace. She felt hot beyond comprehension. "Ah, erm…. Thank you Luke" She managed to say.

"You are more than welcome" Luke answered back, with that smile of his that made Lia's heart jump. Now it was Lia's turn to ask, and she wanted to know this bad.

"How many ah… girlfriends throughout your life?" She knew she asked this in the wrong way, stupid bosh'tet translators ruined everything. Luke, however, understood her, and he began.

"Well, around forty-

He saw Lias glowing eyes widening, making him laugh out loud.

"Relax Lia, I was only kidding, I've only had two, and both were really bad to tell you the truth, that's why I'm single" Said Luke, laughing loudly.

"Oh, sorry to hear that" answered a secretly smiling Lia. _'Single?'_

"Have you been in a relationship before Lia?" Luke asked bluntly. _'Let's see what she says hehe'_

"Erm… no, I'm too young, and I'm on my pilgrimage. First, my father won't approve plus I haven't found any male… interesting enough" she finished, blushing furiously and thanking Keelah for the visors, for they are the shield that protects them from utter embarrassment.

Despite the helmet, Luke somehow, maybe by catching her tone of voice, knew she was blushing. His smile turned to a grin, as he began to stalk his prey, and suddenly resumed his powerful offensive. _'Time to flirt a little bit more'_

"So, my dear Lia, any males…interesting enough for you to pay attention to them?

She knew it was a trap. She knew Luke was planning something, and big. She had to be careful in how to respond. But all in all, she wanted to get it off her chest. Her developed feelings for Luke were making her heart beat at an incredible pace. However, the issue of different races and disapproval of both of their families, plus possible rejection from Luke, could make this into a horrible awkward moment that could well end their friendship.

"Ummmm, that's ahhh, how do you humans say it…. Classified?" Lia said at first stammering, then regaining confidence. She watched his eyes and saw…something, but she couldn't tell what it was, but it was something big, special. She had always felt drawn to his deep green eyes and his incredible smile.

Luke's smile somewhat diminished but yet, there was always time, and only time would tell. Still, she neither denied nor agreed to his question. He just smirked at her and said "Sure, and I'm an Elcor Spectre"

Lia found herself laughing so hard that she began to have trouble breathing, barely being able to stay in her chair, while catching the sight of Luke in the floor laughing too.

"Oh Luke! That was so funny! An Elcor Spectre, What's next? A Volus with biotic powers?"

Luke just started laughing again, harder. After a couple of minutes, he eventually began to stand up, getting his composure, grabbing his stomach in the process.

"Oh my God, my stomach hurts, after so much time of not laughing like a maniac" Luke said, grinning.

Lia was still laughing softly. She had never felt like this in her entire life. So secure, so comfortable, so... happy. Then, the memories of Luke helping her against that turian bartender made her feel a little curious, she hadn't asked about it, and this was the perfect time to do it.

"Hey Luke, remember when you helped me against the turian bartender?" Lia asked looking at him. He was sitting on the chair and looking at her at the same time. He then gave a relaxed sigh.

"Yes of course, what about it?" He asked softly.

"Well, you seemed that you were bent on helping me even though you didn't know me at the time. Why?" She asked curiously.

Luke stared at her and smiled. "That bartender was always trouble. Grumpy bastard even threatened another quarian who was here on his pilgrimage. We knew about him and we knew he was quite…unstable. He had threatened other people, mostly humans, so he was always trouble." Luke finished as he looked to the roof of the room. He was tired of staring at white, but it calmed him for some reason.

Lia felt somewhat satisfied, and continued on her quest to get a little more information from the relaxed looking human.

"What happened to him?" She asked, eager to start a conversation before it got to awkward silence, which she hated with a passion.

"We nailed his ass. Since he had a history with us in the past, he got a few months of jail. Poor bastard" He said as he chuckled. "That's what you get for being such an ignorant asshole" He finished with a smile.

Lia smiled under her helmet. _'Ignorant'_ Luke had always been outspoken against the treatment of quarians along with Mindus and Captain Bailey. However, their words fell on deaf ears, and even Human agents fell on that ignorant path, one reason why Luke hated some of them.

Lia then remembered something she was eager to ask Luke. "Luke, somebody was saying in the C-Sec building that you were a hero for your actions in Truba and you got a lot of medals. Could you share here with your friend?" Lia asked, incredibly uplifted in spirits and morale, incredibly interested to learn about how Luke became a hero in the Alliance Military.

Luke immediately snapped his eyes to Lia and began to look to the floor. "Hero? Not even close" Luke muttered, almost silently.

Lia heard him, thanks to her audio enhancements and gave him a confused look by tilting her head to the side. "What do you mean not even close?"

Luke gave her a stressful sigh and began, with a very low voice. "Well, I killed a lot of people, and saw thousands of people dead in the streets. We managed to take out the pirate gang, but not before we…" He drifted off and began to sob.

"I saw…children being hauled into shuttles. Parents being killed while trying to protect their families. My best friend being gunned down by those fucking blinks…she was protecting a children shelter, and she did it well, but I was…too damn late" He said as he began to cry like a baby. Lia rushed forward and hugged him, which he immediately returned, with a lot of force.

"Of the three thousand colonists, only three hundred survived" Luke muttered as he cried and cried, letting everything get out of him. Lia was so sad for him, and mentally slapped herself for making him cry with the topic she so willingly introduced. _'Lia! What have you done?'_

"I was so enraged, so mad. I tried everything, but we only managed to save a few…so few. I held Aethera in my arms, struggling to breathe…and dying, even saw how her eyes slowly lost any signs of… of… life" Luke said as he cried louder. "I killed those fucking blinks with no mercy, no mercy! I saw how they all struggled to breathe while I stabbed them in their necks and chests with my knife! Oh Lia! I am not a hero! I felt like killing myself, I am just a broken soldier with a fucked up past…"

Lia felt as if her heart had been broken into two. She felt some tears in her eyes and she began to sob quietly. _'Poor Luke, poor soul'_

"After killing more than a hundred pirates, and saving some people, fucking Alliance said me and my squad were heroes, and gave us enough medals to sink a damn cruiser" He said as he touched Lia's back. "And I never deserved any of them! None! Couldn't save enough people!" He cursed at himself.

"Luke, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry" She said as she hugged him tighter. "You did what you could. I am sure of it, and you should feel happy for the ones that alive thanks to you" She finished as she caressed his back.

Luke's memories overwhelmed him. One memory about slitting the throat of a batarian slaver, then another of thousands of people dead in the streets, and then another of the batarian slaver leader as he pleaded for mercy while Luke stabbed him in the chest and cut his eyes out with his knife. But then, everything stopped, turned blank. The next memory made Luke feel relaxed and smile weakly. It was Lia, looking at him, smiling under her helmet and laughing.

Luke understood it now. He had fallen in love with the young quarian, and he was more than willing now to share his heart with her. His heart now had an owner, and her name was Lia'Vael nar Ulnay.

'_Why?' _ A part of his mind thought. Now the other answered back in full force. _'Why? She's sweet, selfless, loyal and an incredible friend! She calms me down. She gives me peace. And she's beautiful…so beautiful'_

Luke thought that it was enough, and he was going to unleash everything he had to get Lia. No matter what the cost. His heart now belonged to her anyway, and he was going to do everything in his power to make her happy, secure and to love her. For the first time in his fucked up and good for nothing life, he was sure of something, more than ever.

Luke stopped crying all of sudden and broke away slowly from the hug that Lia had been so comfortable with. Lia then stared at him and said softly "Do you feel better Luke?"

Luke gave her one of the sexiest smiles a man could give. Lia was lucky she didn't fall from the chair of how powerful both his smile and look were on her.

"Yes Lia, I feel much better…and it is all thanks to you, my dear Lia" Luke said softly, looking at her with eyes filled with happiness and something else that she couldn't indentify.

"I'm glad you feel better, do you wanna go eat something here in the hospital, since you are leaving in…oh! We can leave now Luke! Well, you can" She said as she chuckled.

Luke thought carefully. He knew that there was a point of no return, and that he had to cope with the danger of being rejected. Sure they were of different species, and they were of immensely different backgrounds. However, the connection Luke felt was beyond his, or anyone else's comprehension. Luke suddenly remembered the time when his father explained love to him.

/ *FLASHBACK* /

Luke was sitting down eating with his father at their house in Bekenstein. His mother had to go to a colony that was recently attacked by pirates, and she was helping with the effort of reconstructing a good deal of the buildings torn down during the fighting.

Luke suddenly had a great idea to start a conversation with his dad, who was eating spaghetti while checking the numbers of stock of other companies on his datapad. Something Luke found incredibly annoying, as the attention of his father to his job was almost dead focused.

"Dad?" Asked a 15 year old Luke with a soft voice.

"Yes son?" Answered Rafael, who was staring at the datapad in the table.

"How did you know mom was the one?" Luke asked with a lot of innocence and curiosity in his voice. He wanted to know. "Like how did you know that she was the one to marry?"

Rafael just chuckled and looked at Luke, smiling. "Well son, you just know it. I mean, there is a connection that transcends through anything, space, time, everything, and it's between two people. Plus, there's nothing that can stop it. I felt that with your mom, and still do. It's just… You just know it. It's like if you are sharing your soul. You and your mate…become one. A true, united soul that can lift your spirits so high and make you feel so loved and powerful, that you question yourself, thinking and doubting yourself, as if you're dreaming" Rafael ended, chuckling at the look his son gave him.

"And that connection is called?" Luke asked, with his hand making a gesture of continue.

"Love, my son, is called love" Replied the smiling Rafael as he proceeded to get up from the table and kiss his son in his forehead.

"Now, let's go play that sport of yours, soccer right?" Luke chuckles and nods while he walks along his father, who had put an arm on his back, to the backyard.

/ *FLASHBACK ENDS* /

Luke smiled. That was one of the happiest moments he had with his father. The explanation was enough for him to realize that this was real. This love, this connection he felt was real. However, he had to get a lot of balls to tell her, to tell her everything. How he felt and how he wanted to be with her, always.

Lia had been looking at Luke, who had seemingly gotten lost in his head. "Luke, are you alright?" Lia asked softly, but with a worrying voice.

Luke snapped out of his daydreaming. "Yeah, yeah I am" He smiled and chuckled quietly.

He then looked at Lia and began to look at the floor. His right foot was playing with the floor while his cheeks blushed furiously.

Lia immediately looked at him funny but realized he was nervous and was about to say something. She found him incredibly cute for doing those things. _'Ironic that you do this yourself' _Her mind snapped at her.

Finally, he got some balls. But then, there was the issue. If his feelings were not reciprocated, he could all as well destroy their friendship, which could very well destroy what's left of his broken heart. _'I can start small, and then see how to tell her everything' _

"Lia…would you…like to dance with…me tonight?" Luke asked nervously.

Lia opened her eyes wide and looked at him for some full two seconds. She scanned his face, and found that he was still blushing. She knew something was up; Luke didn't get all nervous like this in front of her, much less blush so furiously. She then smiled. _'Hmmmm, I may see what happens with this, I actually want to see him dance' _

"I would love to dance with you Luke" She said but quickly realized her mistake. "I mean ahhh love to dance today, it feels like a dance day you know" Lia said as she played with her hands and looked down, to the floor.

Luke smiled and thought mischievously. _'Operation Romantic Evening is a go'_

Well here you are guys! R&R, it always helps me, give me your thoughts! Will Luke be able to share his feelings to Lia? If so, what it's going to happen? Stay tuned!

And please, no hate reviews. You don't like quarian pairings? Just leave and don't bother reviewing.

Constructive reviews are always welcome friends, they help me write better and improve my skills.

Thanks to DarkDanny for his great reviews and help with this story. Thank you my friend!


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for being absent! Girlfriend, projects, tests and new car have been taking a toll on me. No matter, the story continues. It continues to amaze me at the number of reviews for my first fic! Thanks guys, and this is for y'all, long and awesome chapter! DarkDanny, ArchShadow24, Joey, JustHitTheMark, HewHowislost, RollingTheThunder, BalckHoleLord this is a shoutout for you guys for helping me with this. All others a big THANK YOU for helping me with my first fic! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 9: Ying Yang

Luke and Lia had left the hospital and were on their way to the C-Sec building, Luke reporting for duty after a long absence and Lia going for her next shift in the maintenance area.

"Well, it looks like I'll see you in a bit Lia, so… call me when you're done" Luke said happily.

Luke could swear that Lia was blushing furiously in that moment. "Okay…. I... I'll see you later Luke" She said as she made her way inside the building.

Luke eyed her up until she disappeared into the hordes of C-Sec agents and civilians that absorbed the place like locust on crops. _'I'll see you later Lia' _

"Luke, is nice to have you back after all the bull you went through" Said an smiling Bailey as he interrupted Luke's thoughts. _'Ah, the young' _Bailey knew that Luke and Lia were attracted to each other, it made him smile when Luke got her a job, and defended her from an ignorant turian with no sense of honor. _'Ironic, since turians place "honor" as one of their virtues.'_

Luke saluted and said in a soldier like tone. "Luke de la Vega reporting for duty sir and it's nice to be back!"

Bailey smiled. Sure, Mindus and Luke were troublemakers, yet they were some of his best agents in the precinct. He was amazed at how a turian and a human had such a strong friendship, plus they drank together like there was no tomorrow. It came to no surprise that fellow agents had dubbed them "The C-Sec Bad Boys." Moreover, he was satisfied with their "get the job done" attitude, and their approval at how he ran things in the organization.

"Yes, indeed, it's good to have you back son. Mindus misses you by the way, he wants you to join him in his watch over the Zakera Ward, what do you say?" Bailey said with a smirk. _'Of course, it's close to the club' _

"I'm on my way sir!" Luke replied with enthusiasm in his voice. _'I need a drink before going clubbing at night'_

_

* * *

_

Lia was smiling as she worked in one of the computers at C-Sec, trying to fix it from a virus that Mindus got to from watching porn in the net. _'Crazy bosh'tet' _she thought. '_There that should do'_

"Hey Lia, may I speak with you for a moment?" Came a voice that shook Lia to the core. She turned around to see a smiling drell, looking at her with deep black eyes. _'Keelah, those eyes are so creepy'_

"Oh hi Kolyat, what can I do for you?" Lia asked softly.

"I'm having some trouble with my omni-tool, it crashes every five seconds and I'm getting tired of it, could you fix it?" Kolyat asked as he got his omni-tool out.

"Sure, let me take a look" Lia answered as she got access to it. Kolyat then began to work on the computer Lia fixed mere seconds ago.

"Crazy Mindus did this, didn't he?" Kolyat asked as he was uploading his report to the computer.

"Yes, he was watching porn, trying to look for 'Mating Rituals of Turians and Humans,' he's up to something, that's for sure. I just don't know how Luke can cope with him" she giggled softly.

"Well, they are such an odd pair, aren't they?"

"Yes they are, I can't believe Luke and Mindus are such good friends, so different in species, yet so alike in personality and attitude"

"Well, they are called the 'C-Sec Bad Boys' for a reason"

"What?" Lia asked, confused. _'Baid Boois?'_

"It looks like you have never listened to Bob Marley. Those two got me into that human kind of music, and it's quite good to tell you the truth, you'll see when I get a call from them, I have that song of 'Bad Boys' as my ringtone." Kolyat then gave a gaze at the omni-tool. "And they probably will call, Mindus said today was a good day to party" the drell finished, chuckling.

Lia laughed loudly, enough to get stares from other people, that then made her keep her mouth shut. _'Keelah, I'm working at C-Sec, and now I'm starting to behave like them'_

"For those two 'Baid Boois' as you called them, good days to party are every single day" Lia said with a smile. _'I can't wait to see Luke dance; he's going to look so cute'_

"It's 'Bad Boys' and yeah, you're right, those two are nothing but troublemakers, in a good sense" Replied Kolyat as he finished his report.

It got quiet after that. Kolyat then began to look at Lia, who was still focused with the omni-tool. He thought about it, and knew he had to be careful. This was, of course, to help. _'Maybe I should… I just want to help anyways'_

"So, what do you think about Luke?" Kolyat asked. He had a mischievous smile on him.

"Not sure where you're getting to. What do you mean?" Lia was finishing with Kolyat's omni-tool; it was already getting thoroughly fixed. _'Alright, it looks like the program had a problem with configuration but its fixed already; now let's see what happened to the corrupted files…'_

"The way you look at him" Kolyat answered bluntly, interrupting Lia's thoughts, crushing them to submission.

Lia nervously turned to look at the drell, who was smiling and looking at her with those black eyes that she thought looked like black holes.

"Erm….I don't know what you're talking about…. He's just a….handsome… Wait! A friend of….Keelah! This is so embarrassing!" Lia proceeded to put a hand on her visor. She was blushing hardcore.

"Relax Lia, I know you are attracted to him" Kolyat was smiling as he answered her.

"What…makes you think that?" Lia was getting a little defensive. '_Have I been so obvious?'_

Kolyat smiled. "Well, your body language gave me the answer. You sway your hips when he's watching you. You listen intently to what he has to say, with both of your feet pointed at him. You watch every move he makes, like a huntress stalking her prey. You're always talking about him, plus you never left his side in the hospital, and that got you a lot of points in my book."

Lia was stunned. She never thought someone would take notice. Mindus didn't, well maybe because he's always either too drunk or distracted. Luke apparently didn't, but he was acting very strange lately. But now, however, that Kolyat has noticed, she would have problems with others, maybe even with Mindus. She was really nervous and started to tremble at the thought of losing Luke due to her being so obvious.

She gave a sigh, and began to speak, or try to. "He… saved me, from the turian bartender. He got in the way of bullet that was going straight at me….saving my life again…. He… he's been so good to me. With those actions, he has saved my life countless times. I…I….I just want him to be happy" She said with a sad sigh, her eyes watered up as a result, which made Kolyat's smile disappear. "He just… he doesn't deserve me" She finally added before being interrupted with a sob.

Kolyat's eyes widened and his emotionless face turned into an understanding, warm one. He sighed and began. "Lia, I don't know why you are capable of saying things like that. You are an amazing woman, and Luke clearly sees through the different barriers of races and cultures. His best friends are a turian and a… drell." Kolyat smiled as he continued. "I do not have the power to tell you what to do. However, I do have the power to share a learned a lesson of my own and I learned it thanks to some of the best men in this dark galaxy, a human and a drell. They showed me that… Nothing is Impossible, that second chances are always there." Kolyat said, slowly forming up a smile on his face.

Lia was touched by Kolyat's words and didn't know how to answer back, to put up resistance to his speech, which just told her the inevitable; she was going to stay and fight.

"Th..Thanks Kolyat I… I appreciate what you are doing"

"No problem Lia, no problem at all"

* * *

Luke was making his way to see Mindus. Damn, he missed that asshole. He chuckled at the thought of missing the best friend he ever had in his life.

Mindus was standing at a bench in his watch, watching the flood and fast movement of Citadel life. He could see countless faces, all unknown, making their way to a job, home, a date. It was a really fast paced life. _'No wonder Salarians love to be here, poor bastards only live up to 40'_

"Officer Faggot! This is a code 3, I repeat this is a code 3" Mindus made a face of 'what the hell' and turned towards the unknown voice. None other than Luke was standing there, chuckling and looking at his friend.

"Who are you calling a faggot? Retard" Mindus teased back. "And what the hell is a code 3?"

Luke made his way to stand less than three feet from Mindus' face and with a serious tone he replied "Code 3 stands for Drunken Turian Rapist or DTR"

Mindus couldn't take it anymore and started laughing his ass off. Luke started laughing too and they hugged each other. "It's good to see you here dumbass" Mindus said as they embraced.

"Same here dickwad"

The two then stopped the embrace and cleared their throats. People were giving them odd looks and some made disgusting faces, others laughed. Some women even giggled at the odd scene.

"Alright people, keep staring, and that would be a fine of 300 credits for obstruction of justice" Mindus said out loud. People dispersed rapidly. _'Yeah GTFO people'_

"I love how we can apply laws whatever the hell we want" Luke commented.

"Roger that son" Came Mindus' reply as he chuckled.

"Alright man, now either we bore ourselves to death or we get our 'energy drinks'?" Luke made the air quotes around those two special words as he smiled at his best friend and comrade in arms.

"Luke! I can't believe a fellow officer is going to have a drink on duty! Sorry, but I will arrest your sorry ass and drag you to the nearest cell" Mindus smirked as he pointed at the club.

"Oh, first time I really want to be arrested!" Said the all smiling Luke as the two headed to the club.

The Zakera Club was such a marvelous sight. Many species put together in a single large room; Turians, Asari, Humans and even some Volus and Salarians. Laughing, dancing, talking, even some fights ruled the place and from time to time a crazy individual trying to preach something stupid. This made Luke's hippocampus process a memory that always made him laugh.

"Mindus, remember that Hanar we had to arrest here for preaching some shit about the enkindlers?"

Mindus chuckled. "Oh yeah, poor bastard thought that preaching in a club was a nice idea. Too bad many people were drunk as shit and started throwing random comments at him"

"Yeah but one of them took the trophy of being badass, remember that Alliance engineer? Kenneth?"

"Damn, that guy could drink a lot. His accent always made me laugh. Yeah, he looked at the Hanar all drunk and said 'When did you escape from my sushi?' That made me laugh a lot"

"When the hell did you learn about Sushi?" Asked Luke. _'The hell?'_

"That damn 'Arashimiz' guy standing by the volus ship dealership. Pretty annoying to tell you the truth"

Luke laughed. "It's 'Arashimase' and yeah, now I remember how you would keep complaining about it until he started selling beer there"

"Well uh… he finally got to know how to please costumers" Mindus answered with a smirk.

"You can't even eat sushi dumbass." Luke replied as he looked at his omni-tool. "Well, it looks like our shift just ended about five minutes ago, so what if we just sit here and wait until the waiter comes to the table, I don't feel like going all the way to the bartender's table"

"Come on Luke, it's just like twenty feet away you lazy ass!"

"I just came out of the hospital" Luke replied, looking at Mindus with a puppy like face.

"You're such a whiner"

"Yeah I love you too bitch" Came Luke's reply as a human waiter spotted them and rushed to their table.

"What's up guys! What do you need?" Asked the waiter as he smiled while looking at them.

"Oh you know the drill Mark" Answered Luke.

"Alright a Don Julio and a Turian Vexius Tequila coming right up!" Exclaimed the waiter as he went in a hurry to the bartender table.

"Well Luke, any plans for today?" Asked Mindus with a smirk.

"Didn't you say you had everything planned?"

"Yeah well just trying to show off"

"Cocky bastard"

"Let me call up Kolyat, see if he can make it"

Mindus then opened his omni-tool and began to call Kolyat. Luke was getting impatient, and bored. "Did he answer?"

"Be quiet, it's ringing"

* * *

Kolyat and Lia were fixing some of the last computers at the precinct. Kolyat was duly impressed at the speed of Lia fixing everything. His omni-tool was as good as new. The computer that got a virus from Mindus' stupid curiosity was running smoothly and now she was done with the last computer, which had a huge virus thanks to some of the last criminals at the service of 'Fade' or Harkin. Poor bastard had his leg shot and he was already serving a huge sentence in jail.

"Lia, I can't thank you enough for fixing my omni-tool. I was already considering buying a new one"

Lia turned to face him as she was done with the computer. "Well, we quarians tend to fix everything we can. Since we don't have the resources to buy new merchandise, we manage with what he have, upgrading and fixing"

"Ah, I see. Well, you are great at this. C-Sec should put you in charge of maintenance; you'll do a terrific job."

"Hah, I'm good with what I have. And I am sure people here would not want a quarian being in charge of something"

"Well yeah but…" Kolyats omni-tool started ringing, and then came the song that filled the room with awesomeness.

_Bad Boys! What you go, what you go, what you gonna do! _

Lia tilted her head to the side as she listened to that song Kolyat was so fond of. _'He's right; it applies to the other two winebags' _She thought as she giggled softly.

"Hey!" Kolyat answered the call as he made the ringtone end.

"_Hey Kolyat, me and Luke are here at the Zakera Club, wanna join us man?" _ Mindus asked with his gurgling voice.

"That will be later Mindus, we have to go fix some other computers, your damn curiosity cost Lia like two hours of her life"

"_Ah…. That was a research project for my little brother"_

"Mindus you don't have a brother"

"_Ah shut up, I was just curious; at what time will you guys get here?"_

"At about 8, so yeah find something else to do you lazy asses"

"_F U ass"_

With that, Kolyat hung up as he smiled warmly at Lia.

"Well, it looks like at 8 we will meet them, so let's get finished so that we can rest a little more"

"Okay, let's fix the computers Kolyat, I am craving to do something"

With that, Lia and Kolyat left to another room, where some of the computers needed maintenance. As they were going, however, someone was watching them in the shadows.

"Yeah the piece of shit vagrant and the frog boy, they just went to the other room" it said with an evil voice.

"No don't worry, the biotic freak of Luke is not here, we will have our chance after all"

* * *

"You know, we should just go do something fun, I mean I'm fucking bored here and-" Luke couldn't finish the sentence.

Their radios beeped loudly. It was a transmission from C-Sec, and since it was private by the looks of the codes in their omni-tools, it was something important.

"Boys, this is Bailey, we got an incident over in the Zakera Ward"

Both men just got up from their seats and answered in unison. "Yes sir!"

"There has been a murder, please go and try to find out what happened, hurry before the investigations unit arrives" and Bailey then left the transmission. Luke and Mindus had confused faces.

"Alright Luke, let's go see what happened"

"Right behind you"

There were a lot of people hanging around a bench, looking at something against the wall. Luke and Mindus arrived at the scene, confused and highly suspicious. As they got there, they saw the macabre scene that would shake bones to many people.

"By… the Spirits" was all that came from Mindus' mouth as he saw two bodies, without a head, piled against the wall, with lots of blood around. The heads were missing, and all they had, seemingly, as evidence, were the bodies.

"Jesus Christ, what the hell?" Luke was shocked. They had never seen a murder this brutal, this… monstrous. Someone or some people were just insane.

Mindus was shocked, but he had to say something. "Alright people, this is C-Sec, please move along, do not get near the crime scene, please move along"

People began to slowly move about. They had shocked faces and some were even crying. This level of brutality was a first; no gang was capable of doing this.

"Mindus, get to the right, I'll go left and see what we have"

"Roger"

With that, both began to look for evidence, anything the murderer or murderers forgot to clean or pick up after they left the bodies there.

"Okay, looks like a turian and a human, both in their late twenties, and no IDs. Damn Luke, this is serious shit"

"I know, from what I can see, a professional or a butcher did the job, I mean the heads were cut cleanly and efficiently"

"Hey Luke, come check this out!"

Luke hurried towards Mindus. He then pointed at a white paper, against the wall, and the handwriting in blood. It was scary.

"Damn… Can you read that?" Mindus was shocked, and couldn't read the strange letters, written in blood.

"It says… Shadow Gang is no more. We rule here now, sincerely… The Black Hand?"

"Shit we got to take this for Bailey!" Mindus was in shock.

"Alright get the gloves; let's make this smoothly, no fooling around"

Luke then got some white gloves he stole from the Forensics Division of C-Sec and took the white paper. Mindus did the same but, on the other hand, got samples of blood from both bodies. This was serious.

"So… A new gang? Oh shit man, this is fucked up" Luke said quietly.

"I know, and for a reason Captain Bailey didn't want the forensics and investigations unit to get this"

"You think they're crooked?"

"Possibly, but let's get out of here, come on"

Mindus and Luke then moved rapidly through the crowds of people, on their way to the precinct. _'Holy shit a new gang? Powerful and brutal enough to do this and destroy the Shadow Gang? Damn it!' _Luke was scared. Mindus was shaking as they ran to their objective, the precinct. Bailey had to see this.

* * *

Lia and Kolyat were already making their way out of the computer rooms. Mission was accomplished; good rest was on its way.

"Lia, let me call Luke so that we can arrange the meeting at the club"

"Okay"

Lia was then looking at a C-Sec agent getting a suspect to the interrogation room, with a bat? Oh yeah, Captain Bailey's policy. Lia was shocked by it but understood the need to find information for people to be saved and protected from dangerous criminals. As she continued to watch the scene, she then heard loud thud, sort of like a heavy object falling at full speed. She turned and saw Kolyat on the floor, unconscious.

"Kolyat! What happ-"

BAM!

Lia felt a huge punch in her neck, and everything turned black.

"Heh, let's have some fun with this vagrant, see what she has underneath that blasted suit"

* * *

Oh dang! What will happen? What the hell is going on? Stay tuned! Thanks to y'all for the reviews!

Can't wait for your review DarkDanny!

R&R!


	10. Chapter 10

I dont know what the hell is going on but now I CANT RECEIVE updates from FanFiction in my email account :( its so stupid. I tried putting a different account and nothing. If you guys could help me about this, much appreciated. Here is Chapter 10! Enjoy and if you can help me about the email thing, please do, as i want to receive any review alerts and messages from fanfiction and not take centuries to respond. DarkDanny, you know my characters, they are bad boys XD

Chapter 10: The Reckoning

Bailey had been sitting at his office for what felt like centuries. He had no choice but to send his forensics team to the site of that overwhelming crime. _'Hope those two have something for me' _

He was suspicious of his special forensics team. Always had, but now more than ever; a new gang, no, a new cartel had just taken the place of the Shadow Gang, and obliterated them with an efficiency only seen in movies. Bailey was not afraid, he was scared. _'That cartel is just something out of a book, what am I going to do if…'_

His thoughts were interrupted as Luke and Mindus broke into his office. They looked tense, scared. Both men then approached his desk.

"Captain you gotta see this" Luke began as he carefully got out a bloody looking paper out of his bag. Mindus just eyed Bailey, his training in the Turian Military always keeping him sharp and looking for lies. It's not that he didn't trust Bailey, just that he wanted to know if Bailey was keeping information from them. This crime had just told him that some things were not impossible.

Bailey's eyes widened. He was visibly shocked by the level of brutality. He read the message and gave a tired sigh. He then looked at both Luke and Mindus.

"Boys, please come with me to my private office" With that, he got up and went to the halls, flooded by C-Sec agents. Luke and Mindus followed suit, like dogs following their master with a piece of meat. They were that interested in what Bailey was about to tell them.

Bailey's office was large, quite a luxury when talking about C-Sec. His desk was big, and so were his chairs. Two at the front of the desk, and several pictures of his great accomplishments in C-Sec back in his days as a detective. One portrayed the arrest of Turian arms dealer Marek, who was known for his brutality and his 'strange' fetish for human females.

Luke and Mindus proceeded to sit down and look at their captain, who was pacing around his desk, smoking a cigarette.

"Boys this is just what I thought" He managed to say.

"What captain?" Asked a curious Luke, while Mindus looked intently at Bailey.

"This is not a gang boys, these guys are much more than that"

"Much more than what?" Now Mindus was curious.

"This is not a gang, but a cartel. Coming directly from Earth"

Luke was shocked. Mindus' eyes widened. This was about to get better.

"In the early 21st century, there was a bloody gang war in a country of Earth called Mexico. Several powerful cartels fought each other to submission, even had the power to fight the government of Mexico itself. Thousands died in that war, and in the end, the government won, but at the cost of thousands of soldiers and civilians."

"Yeah sir, we get it but what does this have to do with the Black Hand?" Luke was utterly confused.

"One of those cartels survived the war, and went on to work in the dark for centuries, becoming sort of a big mafia organization that had thousands of members. After the First Contact War and the opening of trade from Aliens into Earth, this organization began to hire turians, krogan, even quarians!"

"What?" Both Luke and Mindus asked in unison, effectively dumbfounded.

"Yes, several quarians were hired for their technological expertise, krogan for their brutality, and turians for their organizational skills and discipline. They became so powerful that the United American States government had to expel them from Earth. Instead of fragmenting into several small gangs, like everyone thought, they became even more powerful, took over black trade and arms dealing in Citadel Space."

"Knew this was bad, their level of brutality is just off the damn charts" commented Mindus.

"Indeed. Even the Blue Suns and Eclipse fear them. What is more shocking is that they actually hire former soldiers of all species. They put particular attention to ex Alliance, quarians on their pilgrimage, turians that just got out of boot camp and krogan mercenaries"

"And they are taking over now in the Citadel? Why not before?" Luke was trying to get as much information as possible.

"Because the Alliance had an agreement with them, as long as they wouldn't interfere with politics, they would continue with their dirty work. Plus, they wanted to stay in the dark. They saw an opportunity and took it. Kelham in scared shitless, he's thinking of moving to Omega, like if that's going to help." Bailey managed a small smile.

"So… who's the leader?" Mindus was shocked at the level of this organization. Not even the Blue Suns or Eclipse were this powerful.

"No one knows. We just know how powerful they are and that they are taking over the Citadel dirty business now. Only thing we know is that they dislike pirates, and tend to kill them brutally after getting in their path."

"No wonder the Alliance has kept its mouth shut about this" Luke commented. Mindus nodded in acceptance of his comment.

"Boys, your assignment now is to find as much information about them as possible. Every little bit, every scrap. And we will discuss it at my house. Here is not safe."

"You think some are…" Luke then looked at the cameras, and saw they were deactivated. "You think some here are dirty with them?"

"Most probably, I mean evidence disappears when I'm about to see it. Plus, they have a lot of creds and power, would be surprised if their tentacles hadn't spread to C-Sec"

"Is the Shadow Gang no more?" Luke asked softly.

"I don't know kid; they seem to be completely paralyzed."

* * *

Zakera Slums

"Come on man, we gotta hurry the hell up!" A dark figure shouted.

"I know! Let me just try to get this done" Another figure shouted back.

"You hear that?"

"I can't hear shit"

"Nothing, silence. They are here! Let's get out of here now!"

A turian figure stepped up and was about to grab the shoulders of the other humanoid figure when his head was destroyed. The human right beside him was paralyzed. He just turned to his back and saw at least twenty heavily armed figures, all standing up and aiming their guns at him.

Then a quarian, armed to the teeth, began making his way to him. He had a black suit and a blue visor. The human saw that he had sort of a commanding step.

"Who… who are you?" the human asked in barely a whisper. The quarian, however, with the audio enhancements in his suit, heard him perfectly. He was now standing ten feet away from the human.

"We are the bringers of death it seems." The quarian said, making his men chuckle.

"I… I… What are you going to do…. With me?"

"Well, I am sorry, but our bosses want this clean and clear of people like you so…" The quarian took out a phalanx pistol from his holster and shot the human right between the eyes. "I have to get rid of you"

The quarian smiled inside his mask and turned to his men. "Gentlemen, we are now the official caretakers of this great shithole so… make me proud and start Operation Dark Wolf"

"Yes sir!" A loud shout came from the men in the shadows. Then they started to pick up every scrap of equipment, every cable, and every little thing that got in their way to build something… Their level of discipline and team work was just extraordinary.

"Hurry up gentlemen, we need a strong base here" The quarian officer then turned his attention to a couple of thermal clips on the ground. He studied them carefully. _'A phalanx, these bullets are strong' _

He then shouted to one of his men. "Rojas! Hack into the security cameras and tell me what happened here in the last few days."

The human gave a strong salute. "Already on it sir!"

The quarian smiled. He had a strong platoon of bloodthirsty, loyal fighters. However, he was curious about the apparent fight that occurred apparently days ago, from the evidence he recovered.

"Sir, I got it!" Rojas exclaimed while holding a small monitor.

The quarian then saw a lone human, in C-Sec uniform battling a full platoon of gang members by himself. Then, he saw blue aura coming from the human. He was a strong biotic, plus, from what he saw in the vid; this human was very well trained and disciplined. However, his thoughts were interrupted when he saw a fellow quarian emerging from the shadows, using an omni-tool. _'Hmmm, probably on her Pilgrimage, but what the hell is she doing in there?'_

The video then turned into static and fell into a black screen.

"Good job Rojas, now go and salvage anything you can, I'll go with you in just a minute"

"Yes sir!"

The quarian then turned and opened up his omni-tool. He then saw a hologram of several men in suits, looking intently at him. He smiled.

"Sirs, Operation Dark Wolf is on its way and we are set to take the Citadel" The quarian said with eagerness in his voice.

"Good job Vic. Well done. It is time for the Black Hand to show everyone what it's capable of. Do us the honors" The voice came from one of the several men. He was tall and had a tuxedo, and he stood at the center. Vic couldn't figure from what species he was, but he had a lot of command and smoothness in his voice.

"Yes sir!" With that, the hologram disappeared.

'_This is just getting better'_

_

* * *

_

Everything was dark. He heard voices, grunts and shouts. He felt like he was in a void, like if he was floating. The shouts turned louder by the second. He couldn't understand them, but they were hurting his ears.

"_Kolyat?" _Ah the voice was like a whisper, like something the wind carried. It was so light and fragile.

"_Kolyat!" _That voice was getting louder, but still like a strong whisper.

SPLASH! Kolyat opened his eyes and saw a human holding a bucket of water. Kolyat then felt wet. The human responsible for his awakening looked nervous. Kolyat turned and saw several fellow C-Sec agents standing, looking at him intently. Kolyat then proceeded to get up and clean his suit of dirt. The human with the bucket then asked.

"Kolyat? Are you okay man?"

"Yes. What happened?"

"I don't know, Holx found you here and started shouting for help. Then I got here and tried to wake you up. I had to use the greatest weapon against sleepers, water" The human chuckled.

Kolyat then went into his memories.

"I smile. She is about to go with me to the bar. I heard a voice, a whisper. I turned and saw Jorax, holding a club, and then I look at Lia, but couldn't warn her. No time. No reaction. I feel a strong push against my head. Then everything turns black"

The agents looked at him funny. Kolyat's eyes widened. _'Jorax! That scum'_

"I am sorry but you will have to excuse me I need to go" Kolyat then raced through the agents and went past the halls in a hurry.

"Damn that was weird" One of the turians in the crowd said out loud.

"Leave him alone, he did nothing to you" The human growled.

Kolyat then dialed Luke. He was in such a hurry; he was desperate to find him. Lia was kidnapped and Luke had to know.

"_What's up Kolyat!" _ Came the response from Luke on the radio.

"Luke! We have to talk! Where are you?"

"_I'm with Mindus about to head to the bar, wanna join us mate?" _

"Stay there Luke, we need to talk!"

"_Alright! We'll wait for you here"_

"Please stay there, I'll be right over!"_  
_

Kolyat then hung up and made his way past the tons of people in the halls, it was such a mess of traffic on legs. Kolyat was getting really nervous and thought carefully how to tell Luke to not get him angry. _'It is clear, he loves her. He will go berserk. Oh Arashu, please protect Lia and Luke. Forgive me for not reacting in time'_

Kolyat finally saw Mindus and Luke chatting outside of the precinct, both smoking a cigarette. They turned and saw Kolyat, waving at him. Luke was smiling, while Mindus had that stupid smirk on his face.

"So yeah this krogan then…" Mindus couldn't finish as Kolyat finally made it.

"Guys!"

"Come on Kolyat, I was about to crack up one of my jokes!" Mindus held his hands up dramatically.

"Shut the hell up!" Kolyat was angry.

Mindus just made a few steps back holding his hands in the air, as if surrendering. "What the hell is wrong with you Kolyat?"

Kolyat ignored him.

Luke then looked at Kolyat. He looked dread and tired, as he was holding his breath.

"What is this about Kolyat?" Luke asked, tilting his head to the side to make his confusion known to Kolyat.

"It's… Lia… she…"

"She what! What the hell happened to her?" Luke was now shouting.

"She was kidnapped by…. Jorax"

Mindus' mandibles flared to each side. He was shocked. _'Jorax what?'_

Luke, however, just stood there, dumbfounded. Kolyat saw the anger boiling in his eyes, a terrible rage, like that of a monster, which had just been unchained off its prison. His hands then clenched into fists. His anger was getting worse. Both Kolyat and Mindus embraced for the worst.

"Luke?" Mindus said in almost a whisper, carefully taking a step towards him.

"RAAAAARGH!" Blue aura appeared in Luke as he exploded into a tearful rage. He shouted curses and rambled in some language not even Kolyat or Mindus could understand with their translators. Luke then got to his knees. He started coughing.

"Luke?" Mindus took a determined step towards him and put his talon on Luke's shoulder.

Luke got up and looked at both Mindus and Kolyat. "That son of a bitch is mine! You hear me? Mine! I'm gonna tear him apart!"

"Luke wait! We have to stay focused! No need to go guns blazing." Mindus tried to have reason with him. He saw a beast about to get unleashed.

"We have to rescue her, that's what we have to do!" Luke shouted towards Mindus.

"I am with you every step of the way Luke" Kolyats voice now was calm and assuring.

"So am I brother" Mindus joined in.

"Let's pay Mouse a visit" Luke said with anger in his voice.

* * *

Lia woke up and couldn't move, wondering where was she and why she couldn't move. She then saw chains on her arms and legs. She was so scared. She started looking for any ways of escape, but found none. The chains were very strong, plus she felt dizzy, probably from the big punch she felt back in C-Sec. She then saw light, coming from a steel looking door. Its small holes were the only things capable of letting some light enter the dark, oppressive looking room. She then heard footsteps and saw a dark figure in the door as the door slowly opened.

"Damn she's hot man" it said with venom in its voice.

"Told ya! The boss will be so pleased with this." Another figure said as it made its appearance at the side of the other figure.

"Oh come on! We could get some action with this bitch"

"Orders are orders; she's for the boss only. Here's some food bitch! Enjoy it" It then laughed along with the other figure as they closed the door and disappeared.

Lia saw a tube in the floor. Even though she felt hungry, as her stomach was growling, her pride refused to let her take it. She looked at the door, wondering what was going on and hoping for the greatest man she ever met to come to her aid.

"Luke, I need you" She managed to say in a whisper before feeling dizzy and falling into the land of dreams….

* * *

Oh boy this is getting awesome! R&R!

Thanks for the reviews y'all!


	11. Chapter 11

**First of all, I am sorry but essays from school, a huge report and a stubborn girl have kept me busy. Don't worry; I am now completely focused on this. Path of a Talimancer will have its imminent end in the next few days. Enjoy guys, and for your patience, here is a long chapter! ;)  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, except Luke and Mindus... OH YEAH! MINE!  
**

* * *

Chapter 11: Operation Spring Awakening

Mindus was worried. Hell, he was scared too. He had never seen Luke this mad, this… berserk. His eyes had this… emptiness, like the eyes of a machine; clear, focused, cold. He knew about Luke's background as a ruthless soldier, but kept it hidden. He didn't want his friendship with Luke to be ruined by saying something stupid. Now, they were going to the slums, where the poor, infirm and lawless lived in the Citadel.

"How long until we get there Luke?" Asked Mindus.

"Don't know" responded Luke, eyes focused on the way to the nearest elevator.

"Luke, I think we should plan this… interrogation with Mouse. He's harmless, yes, but we have to get this info out of him" Commented a pensive Kolyat, walking right beside Luke, on the left.

"Mindus will be the good cop, I'll be the bad one, you will be there just in case things go wrong" Answered Luke, in a machine-like voice. It shook the bones on both of his companions.

"Alright man" Mindus responded. No one dared to say a word anymore as the trio got to the elevator. The ride was in silence, very expected for all. Luke was standing tall, eyes on the door while Mindus and Kolyat would exchange looks on occasion. They were worried and incredibly afraid of what Luke could do to not only Mouse, but anyone that may get in their way.

Now, Mindus was thinking hard. _'Mouse will be a piece of cake, but after that what? What are we gonna do if this gang is behind? After all they openly recruit quarians, and she is a very good technology specialist.' _

The elevator stopped, shaking Mindus' thoughts. Now it was time to get into probably the lowest of the low in the Citadel. It was like Omega, except with a nice touch of some security, but still it was a shattering look of decline and despair.

It was like a poor neighborhood bombed, destroyed and then reconstructed in a few days. It was that bad. There were many beggars on the streets, turians, humans, and even asari. Such a sad sight, but that didn't bother Luke, as he made his way to a set of apartments, not too far from the elevator. Mindus and Kolyat had to speed up their pace to keep it up with him.

As the duo made their way towards Luke, they heard screams in an alley nearby. Luke, who was focused to get into Mouse's depressing apartment, suddenly stopped and took a look at the alley, stretching his neck, trying to take a look at what was going on. What he saw was completely shocking. There were two men, a turian and a human by the looks, beating a quarian. He was screaming for help.

"PLEASE! HELP!" He screamed while the human was trying to take his helmet off. The turian laughed and patted the human in the back.

"Easy there Kurt, you will hurt him" He said softly.

Kurt laughed and then got a knife from his left hip. "Let's see what this scum looks like without that suit on Mak."

"Hmmm well what the hell, he's a quarian anyway, and we are doing this for the good of science" Mak said with venom and hatred in his voice. The human then was about to knife him when his hand stopped, blue aura covering his arm. The quarian fainted as he saw the hand stopping.

"What the hell?" Kurt was shocked, trying to move his arm. Mak turned his head and saw a lone human, with a C-Sec uniform in a battle stance, his fist in the air.

"Leave him alone" Luke said coldly. His eyes were fixed on the turian, who was watching him intently.

"Or else what? You think you can order us? C-Sec doesn't rule here y'know?" Replied Mak.

The human turned and screamed. "GET THIS OFF ME BITCH! I didn't do anything to you!"

Luke walked calmly and raised his fist, freeing the arm of Kurt. Luke then stepped in front of the turian and said "You guys have two choices, either get the hell out of here or I'll break your mandibles and shove them up your ass"

Mindus and Kolyat got there to see Luke standing in front of a turian and human, both with their heads fixed on their comrade. Mindus was about to rush into the scene when Kolyat put a hand on his chest.

"Let's see where this goes." Kolyat said, looking at Luke in front of him.

Mindus had to stop and look. Luke was obviously talking to the duo, but then he saw a quarian in the floor, probably either unconscious or dead. Shaking his head, he stood there watching the scene.

"Ha! You think you can take on us bitch? You will regret those words." Kurt then stood up and charged head on at Luke. Mak just took a few steps back and laughed.

Luke then positioned both his hands at each side of his head, as to cover it. His hands then turned to fists and, when Kurt was close enough, unleashed a barrage of punches into Kurt's livers and head. Within two seconds, Kurt was on the floor, bleeding profusely from his face and unconscious.

Mak jumped in fright and tried to run away but Luke caught him by his arm. "Your turn." Said a smiling Luke as he punched the turian in the head and sides of his body. Luke then kicked Mak in the groin, making the turian kneel on the floor while grunting in pain. Luke then punched him hard in the face, making his body fall to the floor like a tree. Both the turian and human were knocked out within a minute. Luke then rushed to the quarians side.

"Hey, can you hear me? Are you there?" He asked softly while he shook his body. The quarian jerked and opened his eyes.

"Hmmm" The quarian moaned in pain and his eyes shot up, looking at Luke. The quarian then spoke softly, as in a tired voice.

"Are you going to kill me?" He asked in a tired voice, he was now prepared to die.

"No, I'm not. Are you wounded, any suit breaches?"

The quarian was shocked at Luke's knowledge on quarians, but that didn't stop him from replying.

"No, I'm okay, just a little beaten that's all" The quarian then got up and looked at Luke, tilting his head to the right, as in a curious stare. He couldn't help but ask.

"Why did you help me?"

"Because you were in trouble. Good luck with your Pilgrimage." Replied Luke in a robotic voice, cold but assuring. Luke then turned to his friends and made his way to get to them. The quarian then spoke, again.

"Hey! Officer!" The quarian had already identified the C-Sec uniform.

Luke turned to see him. Mindus and Kolyat started to approach them.

"Thank you, you just… saved my life…"

"No problem, just doing my job" Luke had a small smile on his face.

"No one would have saved me, not even C-Sec" The quarian replied in a sad tone.

Luke walked towards him and tapped him in the shoulder. "Now you know some of us do care about the well being of others."

The quarian smiled behind his helmet and offered his hand for a handshake. Luke took it instantly.

"My name is Lirius, Lirius'Doral nar Qwib Qwib"

Mindus started laughing on his way to Luke and Lirius. Kolyat was just smiling.

"Really? Qwib Qwib? Damn, never thought quarians were so lame at naming ships" Mindus was trying to be funny. It was clear that he wanted to get the mood up.

Lirius glared at him while Luke chuckled. Kolyat patted Mindus on his back. "Really Mindus just shut up." Mindus just shrugged. "My jokes are good anyway."

Luke then spoke, in a gentler tone. "My name is Luke, Luke de la Vega" He then gestured with his hand towards his friends. "These stooges are Mindus and Kolyat, friends of mine"

Both Mindus and Kolyat smiled and offered their hands to Lirius, who took them hesitantly. The quarian then turned to Luke.

"Why are you here? This is not a place common for officers of C-Sec to be patrolling."

The quarians question made memories rush to Luke like a waterfall; Lia captured and endangered, Mouse in the apartments and his quest to find that wretched turian Jorax, to make him pay. However, he had to keep that in check, as he was about to make an interrogation on Mouse, a petty criminal, and a low life.

"Just patrolling." Luke was reluctant to tell the quarian anything. Just because he was in danger, didn't mean he had to be trusted. Mindus then spoke up, much to the group's surprise.

"Lirius, I think you missed a level. This is the garbage level, the good level is up." He said as he pointed with his talon up, to the ceiling.

"I know, but nobody wanted to give me a job. It's always the same thing. No hiring quarians, no job for you. It's getting me tired." Lirius then looked to the floor, as if ashamed.

Luke patted the quarian in the shoulder. "Hey, I know this may offend you, but are you good with computers and electronics?"

Lirius looked at him, his body language that of dumbfounded. "You are not offending me in any way officer, and yes I am good at electronics." He replied.

Luke smiled. "Good, then report to my boss, his name is Bailey, Captain Armando Bailey. Tell him that you are a wizard at technology and that you are looking for a job. "

The quarian took a step back. "What? C-Sec hiring quarians? That is insane."

Mindus laughed hard and said "Insane? A quarian was working there and she was happy with her salary."

Luke smiled and shook his head. "What my friend is trying to tell you is that our boss hires quarians because you guys are good at that, and plus our computer systems have been attacked recently. We need help from people like you to fix that."

Lirius looked at all three of them. He patted his foot a couple of times and shook his head. "Well what the hell? I need a job; I am hungry and tired of this hellhole."

Luke chuckled while Mindus laughed. Kolyat just smiled. "Alright then, go and ask, tell him that we sent you. Agents DLV, MD and KL, he will get it." Luke replied as he chuckled.

Lirius nodded and said "Thank you, really thank you for your help, now I am heading to C-Sec and tell the Captain that I need a job, hopefully he will get me one." The quarian then started making his way to the elevator when Luke shouted.

"Hey Lirius! You forgot something!"

Lirius turned and headed towards Luke. "What did I forget officer?"

Luke smiled. "This." He then got the quarian's hand and put a credit chit there. "It fell from your little fight with those brutes." He said as he gestured with his hand towards the alley, where Mak and Kurt were still unconscious.

Lirius studied it carefully. He shook his head and tried to hand it to Luke. "No, I had no money officer, this is not mine."

Luke just gave it back to him, "Of course it did." He said while making a wink with his eye, much to his friends' amusement. The quarian reluctantly took it. "Thank you Officer, I will not forget you."

Mindus started laughing again. "Of course you won't. We work there dummy!"

The trio laughed while Lirius just shook his head while smiling beneath his visor and headed to the elevator.

Mindus proceeded to make his first bad joke of the day. "Really Luke? A wink? Now I know maybe you have a fetish for male quarians hmmm?" Kolyat laughed and Luke just chuckled.

"Be quiet Mindus" Was Luke's answer. It was good to know he had his friends were there, helping him in something that may hinder their careers in C-Sec. Kolyat was just a recent addition, but was performing brilliantly. Mindus was a veteran, like Luke, and both were some of the best Bailey had to his disposal. Still, it was an honor to have those two as friends. _'How am I so lucky with friends?' _Luke smiled.

"Alright, let's get to Apartment thirty four, that's where Mouse lives." Now Luke was on his cold, command mode as he gestured his friends with his hand to follow him.

The apartments building was a like a bomb shelter, crude, poor looking… just terrible. Cries of babies could be heard, some drug dealers shouting at their clients for more money and homeless people sleeping in the stairs or floor, just to have a roof to sleep.

The trio had their faces in a disgusted way. All represented the shadowy, decaying part of the 'Great Citadel.' Omega was worse, but hell this place had the points to compete with that hellhole. It was like watching a horror movie, just the crude reality of life, the true face of the Citadel.

Luke finally saw the correct door after making his way through beggars and thieves. _'Heh, and they call quarians thieves when this place is so full of them we can drown on them'_

Luke nodded towards Mindus. The turian then proceeded to knock on the door and shout "Mouse! Open the door!"

They heard footsteps behind the battered looking door. Then a voice came to their ears. "What do you want? Who is it?" The voice was that of a male, frightened.

"Just open the door or we will knock it down!" Luke growled.

The numerous locks and passwords were heard and the door finally opened to show a small, tan skinned human, his eyes darting back and forth until he saw the drell. He made a step back.

"Oh shit! Krios! What do you want?"

Kolyat smiled and said. "We just want to ask you a few questions."

Mouse shook his head. "You know I can't say anything! We are in the middle of a full scale gang war and I want my neck intact!"

Luke growled and took his pistol from his hip, putting it in front of the scared man, right in his forehead. "We can ask this nicely or I can show my friends the different ways to torture I learned from the N7 Academy." His voice was cold. "Do you want me to start teaching Torture 101?"

Mouse's body started shaking, and after a few seconds, he sighed and nodded. "Alright alright, just no guns or torture okay? Get inside."

Luke smiled and nodded. "Good enough for me, let's go in guys." With that, Luke and his friends entered Mouse's apartment, which was nice for such a terrible building, and neighborhood to add it to that. His dining area was large enough for four people while his private room was a few meters to the right. Two bathrooms were seen to the right and left of the kitchen, which had a table, some drawers, and a nice over, nice for Mouse and his 'duct rat' background. _'Too nice for a petty criminal' _Mindus thought.

Mouse then gestured with his hand to a battered looking sofa for them to sit while he got a water bottle from his fridge. Then he sat down, in front of them in a chair and sighed before speaking. "Alright, what do you want to know?"

Luke put his body forward and said "We want to know about Jorax."

Mouse started shifting uncomfortably, true signs that he did know something. Kolyat was watching him intently while Mindus played with his gun, probably to scare Mouse to say something.

Mouse sighed again and trembled. "Bad turian. Worst one I've ever met. He…. he ….. he now leads the Shadow Gang, right under the noses of you guys."

Everyone had wide eyes. Luke's anger began to boil while Mindus and Kolyat looked at each other, as if not believing it.

"Since when?" Mindus growled. A turian merc was bad enough, but a backstabber and a liar was just dishonorable for his people, who had honor above all in their laws of how to be a proper citizen.

"Since a long time ago."

"Well then, what's the situation of the current gang war?" Kolyat asked.

"Bad, really really bad. Kelham is leaving. The Shadow Gang is fragmenting. The cartel is just killing everyone. Red sand dealers are being picked up and are never seen again. Mass recruitment is underway too; the cartel is reinforcing itself even though they haven't lost a soul in this war."

Luke was curious now. _'If the Shadow Gang is weak, maybe that will make my effort to rescue Lia easier for me and for my friends… never said I was going to give up anyway' _"How is the Shadow Gang right now?" Luke asked.

"Screwed" Mouse said as he took a sip of his drink. "They are being battered everywhere. This cartel is just too powerful. This… Black Hand is just too much for them. They are so weak now that some drug dealers are selling behind their backs… People are losing respect on them."

Mindus looked at his quizzically. "Werent you working for Kelham? What is going to happen with you when this battle is over?"

Mouse smiled. "I left before this happened. When Kolyat here failed in his attempt to kill Talid, I quit and began working as a weapons merchant." He then looked around his apartment and smiled. "As you can see, I am doing well, for now."

Luke then asked him "Okay, the million dollar question. Did you hear about a quarian being kidnapped by Jorax or the Shadow Gang?"

Mouse nodded. "Yes, they said she worked at C-Sec and that she would be a good addition to their ticket out of here"

"Ticket? What do you mean?" Luke growled.

"Simple, they are selling her to a corporation for creds to leave the Citadel before the Hand gets them." Mouse stated simply.

Luke was now pissed, but he had to keep himself cool. He had to know where they and beat the crap out of everyone. Mindus put his talon on Luke's shoulder and nodded; a simple gesture that he will follow him wherever he was going. Kolyat smiled at Luke and nodded too.

Luke smiled, calming himself and asked. "Alright Mouse, where is the Gang's base? Before you put a protest I assure you, we are going to clean up, you are not going to be named. Trust us and your 'merchant' job will be left untouched."

Mouse played with his hands as he thought about it. He finally sighed and nodded. "Looks like that quarian is special to you guys… the Gang's hideout is a torn out building, used to be a hospital. It's here, in the slums, a mile away from here. You can't miss it, though I assure you, you will not enter without a huge firefight or backup."

Luke smiled. "When the hell did we say that we needed backup? We are that badass. As for you, thanks for this, you will be rewarded." Luke then offered his hand to Mouse, who shook it. "You don't have to, you guys have been nice to me, and now that you are getting rid of those assholes, it's good enough pay for me." Mouse said as he smiled at Luke.

The trio then got up and began to make their way to the door. Luke stopped and turned to Mouse. "Hey, by any chance would you happen to have any heavy weapons in stock with you?"

* * *

**Oh damn, Luke and friends are going to storm the base. Stay tuned, next chapter will have lots and lots of fighting, a damsel in distress too! Gore, violence and a little surprise to y'all next chapter.**

**R&R!**

**Cheers and thanks y'all for your reviews!**


	12. Chapter 12

Okay so this is probably the longest chapter I've written. _**Also, I have put up in my profile page a poll. The question is "Should I describe Lia's face in this fic?" It's simple, a yes or no, so vote and, depending on the result, I will live to the voter's expectations.**_ :D

**Guardian 54**: Hmmm, good guess, but with the Cain it would be too easy... Good idea though. As for the other two... read and find out :D

**Shadow Juubi Overlord**: Here you go mate! :) Updated and being awesome!

Now, enjoy, because I smell war here…

* * *

Chapter 12: The Charge of the Light Brigade

"This is crazy, I like it." Mindus was excited after buying so many weapons that could support a guerrilla campaign. He was impressed with the spending power Luke had, probably coming from his rich father.

"So Luke, tell me again, what did we buy?" Kolyat joined in as the three were resting in an abandoned building, not too far from the once mighty hospital turned fortress, the last strong point of the Shadow Gang.

Luke chuckled. "Well, two Viper snipers for you babies, a gorgeous Vindicator Assault Rifle for yours truly, a couple of hand cannons for our self defense, and of course, the mighty Katana for me."

Mindus smirked. "Of course, you are the psycho here bro." The Katana was extremely powerful in close range combat, which Luke enjoyed a lot. The difference between Luke and his companions was that, although he was a powerful biotic, he was able to use shotguns, assault rifles and sniper rifles with ease, though large pistols were not his forte.

"Keep your mouth shut; I just bought you one of the best snipers in the market." Luke smiled at his best friend.

"Love you too man." Mindus patted Luke in the shoulder while preparing the guns for use. Kolyat was in his usual silent mode counting grenades and tons of thermal clips, the assault had to be perfect.

"So tell me again, what's the crazy plan? This feels like a suicide mission." Mindus asked Luke after finishing with his Viper.

Luke had gotten up, looking through a window at the enemy fortress, the main objective. His thoughts were on Lia. He wanted to charge at the moment, take his chances, and hopefully die fighting for something worth it, something that made him think that dying for it was good.

"The grenades will be set at night a few yards from the fortress. You will be in this building sniping; Kolyat will be in the other building in front of this one, doing the same thing." Luke answered as he continued scanning for any weak points, anything that might give them an advantage, improve their chances of survival.

"And where are you going to be positioned?"

"First floor of Kolyats building, scouting and annihilate anything that comes in our path."

Mindus smiled and continued to scan through their weapons. Many of them to be checked, but one was already armed and ready to charge at the fray, at the hell they were getting to. _'Courage'_

"After you guys snipe the red helmeted officers of the gang, they will come right at us guns blazing, which will make them fall into our trap. After the grenades explode, you will start shooting any target that comes through your scope, and I will do the same." Luke commented as he pensively continued to think of any additions to the plan that would be useful. _'They can't escape through the back, as it is blocked by another building. Heavy weapon will be used in case of heavy mechs… Shotgun for close combat inside the building.'_

"You know? Maybe we will get something out of this." Kolyat opened his mouth for the first time in ages. Mindus shot him a weird look while Luke smiled at him.

"Maybe it will be a good faith gift to the Black Hand. Maybe Bailey will get us some medals and nice vacations." Luke chuckled.

Mindus smiled warmly and closed his fist. "Of course! We deserve those more than anyone. C-Sec is full of retards and lazy ass people; we are the workhorse of Bailey anyway." Mindus commented, making Luke and Kolyat laugh.

"So Luke, the heavy weapon… we will use it when?" Kolyat was curious, after all, the thing was expensive. Fifteen thousand credits, all from the pocket of Luke's father, Rafael.

"When we need to." Was all that came out of Luke's mouth.

Kolyat shot a glance at it. It was beautiful. A missile launcher capable of firing several rockets into the enemy, all heat seekers, and they had enough ammo to blow up a building to shreds.

Mindus took a look at it too. _'ML-77' _He smiled.

* * *

"You sure? Maybe they are not here." A figure asked his companion, not too far from him, looking through a scope from a sniper rifle.

"They should be, he told us they would be here." The other figured answered back.

"These guys are crazy, three on... How many? Fifty?"

"Maybe there is a reason that got them here to destroy these guys."

"Crooked?"

"Nah, these guys are good natured, that's what got me and the other guy shocked."

"You have any info on them?"

"Yeah, I got the info this morning."

"Well, spill it out."

"Luke de la Vega, ex-N7 commando, Hero of Truba, butcher of pirates, strong biotic, great cop, former golden glove champion in the academy and detective." Then the figure, which looked like the leader, got another picture, of a turian. "Mindus Vactus, former military, good sniper, hell of a detective and drinker."

The other figured chuckled. He was clearly amused by the info on the turian in question. "What about the other one boss?"

"Kolyat Krios. An epic fail at assassination but good sniper, hell of a detective. Has had a good career so far in C-Sec, even though he's been there for just a few months."

"The Three Muskeeters." The other figure chuckled.

"When the hell did you start reading Earth literature?"

"I got bored, so I surfed a little bit in the extranet; you humans have a really good taste with violent novels."

"Yeah. What about turians?"

"Nah, they're pretty crappy."

Both men laughed at the comment. The leading figure then took a drink of his water bottle and smiled.

"Hopefully we'll get over this and go to some nice beach planet or something."

"Problems with the lady boss?"

"She wants some vacations, I can feel it. I want some too, it's been awhile. I am tired of this."

"No one blames you, I want some too, a leave that can satisfy my ego with the ladies."

"Starting with that again? Told you, it's me! They get to our group because of me."

"I am going to record this for your girlfriend."

"She's going to kill me."

"Just like old times boss."

Both men smiled.

* * *

At night, Luke, Kolyat and Mindus distributed mines in the street, sidewalks and even in front of their defense points, the buildings. Kolyat and Mindus got into their respective buildings by six am. Luke, on the other hand, still planned inside his head, instead of resting like his companions were doing.

The attack was scheduled to be carried out once all of the guards had gotten out. It was already seven am and the guards were slowly coming out.

"This is Iron Horse, come in guys."

"Iron Horse! Why the hell do I get Big Bear? You want a hug?"

"Shut up, listen… the guards are coming out, and this may be our chance to start the attack."

"This is Shark, I am armed and ready."

"Shark? Damn it, he gets a badass name and I get a freaking bear?"

"Quiet, you ready?"

"Yes sir! Armed to the teeth and ready for some action."

"Good, then shut the hell up and get ready."

"Aye aye."

It was now seven thirty am, and most of the guards were now massed at the gate, probably around twenty. Normally, according to some sources, there should be at least thirty, but Luke didn't care. _'They can all eat shit and die for all I care'_

Finally, there were twenty five, and Luke was just craving to start the attack.

"Iron Horse, I see some red captains already, around five, wanna start the show?" Now there was his best friend in action.

Luke smiled and answered through his radio. "We'll unleash hell in three… two… one… NOW!"

BANG!

* * *

Kardix had just started his shift. He was sleepy and hungry, but the boss kept them on a leash. The last time he had fallen asleep in the job, they had lost a battle against the Black Hand, with heavy losses and most of his companions dead at his feet. The fact that Jorax was paranoid didn't mean he was going to risk his neck for him, but he was going to do his best to survive.

"Sir, we have been here for hours, and nothing. Jorax is a paranoid bastard." This was a batarian soldier, a low of his corps. He was always complaining. Kardix was not a fan of batarians, hating their slaver activities and whining attitudes.

"Shut your mouth blink and just do your duty." Now this was a human officer, one of the best they had.

Kardix laughed and patted the human on his back. "Damn Mike, now that's what I am talking about." The human smiled and nodded.

"Fucking blinks, always complaining, putting their eyes where they don't belong."

"I know, I hate them too, but right now we have to just protect this gate."

The batarian glared at the two, then grunted and left to his post, which was a little more than a tower, which looked towards the street.

It was seven thirty am, and it had been still the same, calm, and Kardix didn't like it. Mike also looked nervous, ordering his men to different posts throughout the entire sunset. Now, however, what worried Kardix the most was to go to the restroom. He turned towards his human friend.

"Hey Mike, I'm going to get this-"

As he was about to say that he was going to the restroom, Mike's head blew up into tiny little piece, with a crack sound plaguing his ears. Another shot, Kardix turned and saw the batarian's head split open too, with his lifeless body falling from the tower. Kardix ran to the nearest form of cover when he felt something numb on his back. He fell like a tree, hearing the shouting of his fellow comrades as they fell one by one. A salarian's head exploded near him and all the green blood splattered his face.

Kardix was scared; he felt so much fear now. Most of his fellow officers were now dead, and he was wounded, making him a liability in the ensuing battle that was raging through. Despite being a seasoned turian soldier, mercenary and enforcer, he now felt fear so close to him, dead along with it. He then saw a light, coming at full speed towards his position.

'_Maybe they were right, maybe there's a life after death.' _He smiled as the light got closer and closer. Finally, he saw his life in flashes, the first gift of his father, a sniper rifle, his graduation from military academy, his first job as a mercenary and his mate, Yari.

Everything went blank after that.

* * *

"Damn! That missile killed everyone, nice shot!" Mindus was so excited about the fight. He had taken out a human officer and a salarian captain.

Kolyat had taken out of commission a turian captain and a batarian watcher. He was also pretty excited about the battle, but kept it calm, just like Luke was, waiting for the horde to get out of its hole after killing most, if not all of their officers in a matter of seconds.

"Alright guys, keep it up, they're in disorder and about to collapse. Stay where you are, do not hold back." Luke said calmly in the radio as he fired another missile right at the gate, which was now split open thanks to the powerful force of the missile explosions.

"Guys, looks like the horde is coming out of its hole." Mindus was craving to pop some more heads, and he smiled when he heard the gang troopers charging to the streets.

* * *

He was so scared; he had never seen so much death before. He was a raw recruit, barely called up a few days earlier, and now he was present in this terrible day. He continued watching his comrades getting killed by the dozens. Thank the spirits he was in a low tower that oversaw the ground inside the building and not the streets. Sort of like a jail, except that the tower was not too tall and only served as a last defense post in case the gate was breached.

It had been fifteen minutes, and more than twenty five people had died already. Corporal Kilzui was not a bad man. He had helped several people and spared others that had failed to pay the gang its due in their drug and illicit operations.

A salarian officer shouted at him. "You!" He pointed at Kilzui with his finger. "Start preparing the heavy machine gun, wall has been breached!" The corporal nodded and began prepping his beloved MT-220, a powerful heavy machine gun capable of destroying vehicles with a hail of gunfire. _'Those have no idea… they will not be spared'_

Just as he prepared to smile at his thought he heard another explosion and another dozen troopers gone. It was so unfair… the troopers did not know where the attack was coming from, so they just answered by randomly firing at any direction. Thanks to this desperate tactic, they were getting killed one by one.

"We are sitting ducks out here, come on, let's take the fight to the enemy!" Shouted a human officer as he screamed for the troopers to follow him to the fray, eager for revenge. There was a trooper shooting blindly to a building, from which he had heard the sound coming from. The human officer got mad. "Maggot! I said form up! You will get fucked if you stay there for long."

The lone human turned, nodded and started walking to the ladder to get down from the walls that surrounded the fortress. These walls were about fifteen feet high and five to seven feet wide, making it almost impenetrable without proper equipment. The human then stopped and turned to his officer. "Sir! I think I forgo-

He didn't finish as a bullet broke through his face, leaving a hole between his eyebrows and chin, the eyes and the nose, along with the mouth, were simply... gone. The body fell like a comet at full speed, some of his bones cracking, the sound of this startling the nearby soldiers.

The human officer closed his eyes. This soldier was about twenty years old, and today was his first day on the job.

Kilzui saw the whole thing, and cursed loudly while looking at the body of his former comrade. "Damn Domidov, told you that looking too much was dangerous." Kilzui knew private Domidov, and the two had struck friendship earlier in the day by talking. The two had woken up at the same time, took a cup of coffee, and talked for over an hour or so about their lives. Kilzui was eager to talk to him after their shift. There was no more Domidov though.

Morale was low, that much was evident in the screams and shouting the soldiers were involved in. The human and salarian officers turned and nodded to each other, approaching to their meeting position, the center of the patio that was before the walls.

"Torn to shreds, massive casualties, no reinforcements in coming hours, Black Hand?" Asked the startled salarian to his human comrade while pleading with his big, frog like eyes for an answer.

The human shrugged. "I don't know man, this is just overwhelming. The towers are gone, so we are basically blind, and the gate door is in shreds."

"What do we do?"

"Either we take the fight to the enemy or we stay put and wait for the incoming assault."

"Hmmm, take the fight to the enemy, probable ambush, stay, all butchered…. Take the fight to the enemy!" The salarian shouted with all of his lungs.

The human smiled from ear to ear. "Then get the men, for we go charge now!"

The leftovers of the small group of guards massed at the gate. The remaining officers, three, a salarian, a human and a turian, shouted at them to earn some morale. "We will get their heads!" The turian shouted. "Let's fuck em up!" The human would scream. "Charge!" The salarian motioned with his hand for all to follow through the gate into blind glory.

* * *

"They're coming out through the gate, let them be, DO NOT SHOOT! Let them taste some of our mine field." Ordered Luke through the radio as he spotted the first group of guards coming out of the complex like a hungry pack of dogs, eager for some prey but blind by their hunger for revenge.

Mindus and Kolyat had already spotted the officers leading the charge due to their red helmets and hand gestures. However, it was evident that, if the officers got killed first, the armed 'mob' would turn into disarray and scatter, not falling into the carefully set trap. So for now, they had to be patient.

Luke was watching as the whole group of troopers mixed with guards stepped into the streets, eager for some vengeance against the aggressors who had killed their comrades in cold blood.

'_Closer… closer…. Closer… yes come on' _Luke was smiling deviously as the armed gangsters were merely a few yards from the mine field. "As soon as the grenades blow up on these idiots, shoot the officers, have no mercy on these assholes." Luke was mad at them, not just for Lia getting kidnapped, no, that was probably one hundred and fifty percent of it, the other fifty was the countless innocents killed or enslaved by this gang.

CLICK…. BOOM!

The first mines exploded, spreading body parts all over the place. Screams of agony, pain and despair flooded the ears of the three man army, ready to destroy the ones that were left over.

As soon as the mines blew up, two of the three officers were shot, headless as their men fell into the trap like cows to the butcher. The last lone officer, the salarian, was about to run back into the fortress when a nearby mine blew up thanks to a fellow soldier, which left them both without limbs. The salarian was cut in half while the soldier that fell on the trap disappeared. Such a horrible way to die, but sacrifices had to be made in order for law and safety to return to this district, at least for some time before the Black Hand stepped in.

Luke got out of the building, took cover by an abandoned car and started peppering the area with his vindicator. The gangsters fell like dolls as Mindus and Kolyat continued shooting the remaining soldiers, either pm the floor or running, didn't matter, what mattered was just that they were dead and couldn't shoot back.

Luke heard the screams, and a shiver went through his back. "Shoot the wounded; put them out of their misery." He ordered through the radio as the five remaining enemy gang members tried to flee the battle.

Mindus and Kolyat shoot them in their back, and none of them got to the gate. A few seconds passed, and the smoke of the explosions cleared, showing the true gruesome face of war. Limbs were piled against the sidewalk, buildings…. blood was everywhere. The smell of burned flesh invaded the air with great and true might.

Luke began his approach to the gate while his friends had begun the process of climbing down from their positions. Luke knew they had most likely run out of ammo, so he began the process of checking the bodies of their fallen enemies.

The battle had been fast. At least twenty or so minutes and more than forty men were dead. The sniping operation and subsequent ambush had been flawless. They used the enemy's sheer numbers against them. The more men, the more likely they would be a fall in morale. Why? Simple, if there is a small group of them left, with fear for their lives and concentrating on surviving instead of killing the enemy, and then this group could be quite difficult to take out. Fighting to the death was more likely to cause casualties on the aggressor's side than the other.

Luke was a true strategist, and knew the tricks a soldier should do in order to survive in the most gruesome of battlefields. He also knew that, due to the current situation, survivors inside the complex would be clearly shaken, frightened and completely overwhelmed by the sudden wiping out of their comrades.

Mindus and Kolyat were already running towards Luke's position, picking up thermal clips on their way. They saw their fallen enemies slaughtered, destroyed... obliterated. Both men knew this had to happen. It was necessary and their job as justice enforcers meant that any means necessary to protect civilians. _'Many have been brought to justice' _Kolyat thought as he ran with Mindus, keeping up the pace with the excited looking turian.

Luke turned his head and waved at his friends, then took one of the bodies left from the ambush and kept it with him.

"Luke that was badass man, we just destroyed them." Mindus was happy with the outcome of the battle turned massacre. Well, it had been a massacre all along, but turned worse at the end.

"Why do you have one of the bodies with you Luke?" Asked a perplexed Kolyat while looking at the former commando holding a body with one of his hands.

"I don't think the patio is empty. Mindus toss the body into the gate; I'll take the rocket launcher and blow anyone who shoots at us."

Mindus nodded and, with one of his talons, took the body and looked at the gate. _'Get owned assholes'_

Explosions, cries of agony and despair had been the only things that kept Kilzui on alert. He heard and then saw explosions, along with body parts and blood all over the place.

* * *

He was so frightened. He felt like a rat, cornered and ready to be crushed. There was no one else alive with him. Jorax and his bodyguard were probably inside the building, praying for their lives and readying their weapons, as there was no other place to go…

All of his comrades were now dead, joining their gods, ancestors or holy ghosts. Just after the screams fell silent, Kilzui began preparing for his death. He did not want to die, but he also did not want to live as a coward. '_Who would know though?'_ He was the lone survivor; no one else would be able to point a finger at him for not being brave enough to face the enemy that had wiped out his entire unit, by himself to make things worse.

He then saw a something at the entrance. He saw a body, barely able to stand up, right alongside the wall. He was covered in blood, and one of his hands was missing. He was a human by the looks of it. If this was a psychological move by the enemy, it had worked, as he dropped his weapon to the ground and shouted with all of his strength. "I surrender, do not shoot me! Please!"

As he pulled his hands up, the intergalactic sign of surrender, he saw three heavily armed figures in front of him, right at the gate, a human, a turian and a drell. The human was tall, strong green eyes, dark brown hair, very muscular looking and had a small scar on his left cheek. _'Maybe an ex-soldier?'_

The turian was like any other member of his species safe for his clan markings, which were bright green. He also looked muscular and very aggressive. _'By the spirits, it looks like he wants to kill me…'_

The drell, on the other hand, was bluish in color and looked very agile and athletic. _'Assassin'_

Both the turian and the drell had sniper rifles while the human was wielding a strong looking launcher, a Katana shotgun and an assault rifle on his back.

"Please…" The lone turian muttered as he saw their eyes, cold, focused, with no emotions. He kneeled in front of them and pleaded once again.

"Please… I am just a raw recruit I… I wanna see my family again…"

* * *

Luke saw the turian on his knees, pleading. He saw his eyes, and there was no evil, no cold emotions or lies. He did want to see his family again, but he could use him before setting him free…

Mindus understood his best friend and moved towards the turian. "Get up."

The turian got up and his gaze fell to the floor, not able to look at them in the eyes.

"Listen, we need to know where the quarian is being held."

That sent a shiver through the spine of Kilzui. He saw the quarian in one of the rooms, muttering a name and trying to stay alive without eating the food tubes supplemented to her by the guards. It had to be her.

"She is on the second floor, a cell, you can't miss it. It's close to Jorax's office." He motioned with his talon to the building still not looking at them in the eyes, his gaze still focused on the floor.

The name of Jorax brought instant anger to the eyes of the three. They wanted nothing more than to kill him for his betrayal and the kidnapping of Lia. Luke had something in mind for him for that matter...

"Better be the truth or else…" Luke took a look of the corpses around them. "You will end up like them."

The turian nodded. "Can I go?"

"Sure you can." Mindus answered his question. The turian got up and started running towards the entrance. "Watch out with the mines though." Mindus chuckled as they made their way into the building.

The turian froze in place but shook his head and continued towards his way to liberty.

Finally, they had entered the building, which was in a disorder. They hurried through the stairs into the second floor, Luke with a shotgun in hand while Mindus and Kolyat had heavy pistols.

There was a guard beside a strong looking door. Luke knew it was the cell the turian talked about.

"Alright guys, this will be done silently. I'll pull him in with my biotics while you shoot him right between his eyes."

His two friends nodded and waited for the signal. Within two seconds, the guard was on the floor in a pool of blood. Luke was worried for Lia's safety, so he hurried to the door, not caring for anything except her.

Lia had been locked for three days, and she was hungry. She had refused to eat anything given to her by the guards except water to drink. She was exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to see the crush of her life… Luke.

She had heard explosions in the distance but she didn't care. She just wanted to leave this god forsaken place, be in the arms of Luke, or at least talk to him, make his voice calm her down, let all her fears be swept away.

Those were her thoughts until she heard a loud thud by the door, then voices. She figured the guards were coming to feed her or rape her. They had not attempted, but would as they had said that they wanted to just do that in case the boss did not pay attention to her anymore. _'Bastards'_

"Lia!" _'That voice…'_

"Lia! Are you okay? We are getting you out now!" _'My Luke! He's here'_

With the energy she had left, she squealed like a teenage girl and ran to the door.

"Luke! I am here, I'm okay."

She head clapping and chuckles in the background. "Move aside Lia, this will probably be loud. Cover your… never mind."

Lia had to laugh out loud, her happiness was just unbelievable, she just wanted to kiss Luke, but knew she would be able to… later.

"Alright guys step aside. Lia! Get away from the door! I'm going to shockwave this thing to no end."

With that, Luke began sending shockwaves at the door, slowly weakening it with each biotic show of force. Finally, at the fourth time, the door split open, dust covering the entrance to the cell the door used to protect.

Luke took a step and scanned the cell room, looking for Lia when, unexpectedly, a curvy feminine figure pounced on him, hugging him tightly. He heard her crying on his shoulder as she pressed her body against his, squeezing.

Luke blushed and smiled warmly at her. "It's okay Lia; you are safe now, we are getting away from this place." Luke patted her in the back as Mindus and Kolyat chuckled quietly.

After more than three minutes of hug and sweet words from Luke, Lia calmed down. His voice was like a sweet song for her, calming and assuring, telling her everything will be alright.

"Did you miss me?" Luke now had a huge grin on his face,

Lia knew he was joking. "Shut up you bosh'tet, let's get out of here." She playfully replied as Luke carried her, making her blush. She hesitated for a bit before finally letting her head rest on his chest. There was nowhere safer than this.

The three, along Lia in Luke's arms made their way to the entrance of the complex, now deadly silent. Kolyat was uncomfortable.

"Luke, I think someone has been watching is all this time."

"Who?"

"I don't know, but I felt it before we started shooting and I feel it right now."

"There is no way it was Jorax, he was probably holed up here before fleeing like a coward." Mindus commented.

Luke shrugged and continued walking with the beautiful quarian in his arms. As they saw the entrance, the three stopped dead on their tracks as they saw Jorax, kneeling with his hands on his head, surrendering. _'What the hell?' _All three thought in unison.

Before they could pull a gun to kill the bastard two figures showed up behind them.

"Boo." They heard a gurgling voice.

The three turned to see a turian in heavy armor, holding a sniper and a human with a powerful shotgun of unknown origin, looking at them intently.

Mindus, who was frozen, was the first one to speak.

"Who the hell are you guys?"

The human stepped up and held a hand in front of them. "I'm Commander Shepard and what you guys did was… amazing."

* * *

…. SHIT! Commander Shepard? What does he want? Why is he there? What's going to happen? Oh well find out, because next chapter is going out in the next few days! There is a phrase from a videogame character who likes to use the chainsaw a lot... Guess and you will get exclusive rights to... well... help me with the erotic scenes :D!

R&R! Also, a reminder, if you want, vote on my poll in my profile page. Do you want me to describe Lia's face later in the story? Vote, wait for the announcement and see.

Thanks for the reviews y'all, keep em coming!

A shout out to my friend **JustAFerret**, his story is getting amazing and his reviews have been quite a "push" for me to continue. You guys should check out his story Paragon I: Never Simple, simply badass.

To all of you out there, thanks for reading my story and hope you liked this chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

Well here is a calm chapter after a long, deadly and militaristic one. Enjoy guys and don't forget, vote! I can feel the "skin on skin" action is getting closer :D

**DarkDanny**: Hope this is better. Not much of a change if you ask me, but it's very noticeable.

Hope you like this one better guys, much more polished… Thanks for reading y'all. ENJOY!

* * *

CHAPTER 13: Happy Reunion

Both parties were exchanging looks, confusion and admiration from Luke's party. Shepard and crew, Garrus and Thane were calm and collected. Luke could not believe it. _'What the hell is Commander Shepard doing in this dump?'_

Lia was asleep already. Mindus looked perplexed and slightly agitated while Kolyat was seemingly uncomfortable with his father there, with his bright black eyes looking at him intently.

"Okay, let's start from the beginning… sir. What in god's name are you doing here?" Luke asked.

Shepard smiled. "I owed a friend a big favor, so I am here looking after you guys."

Kolyat smiled. "I guess that means Captain Bailey?"

Garrus took a step and smirked. "You can say that, he wanted us to look after your sorry asses, as he got the news of you launching a full scale attack on a wounded gang."

Mindus chuckled. "Yeah, that is Garrus Vakarian, one of the biggest hotheads and supposedely best snipers."

Garrus glared at him. "Hothead? You mean a better agent than you?" Mindus took a step in defiance while Shepard opened his mouth to say something, but Luke beat him by stepping between the two 'hotheads.'

"Alright that is enough Mindus, these guys are here helping us and they brought that jackass" he pointed at Jorax, who was looking at the floor, "so calm down." Luke then put his hand on Mindus' shoulder.

Shepard chuckled. "And here I thought you guys were going to be saying a big thank you for capturing that guy over there."

Luke smiled, while looking a Lia, who was sleeping on his arms. "Yeah I guess we should say thank you for capturing that asshole, but tell me, what happened to his guards?"

The three elite operatives smiled coldly. "Dead." Thane, surprisingly to all, answered. His eyes looked cold and calculating. Kolyat was unimpressed.

"Of course, the best assassin in the galaxy, who would try to resist to you?" Kolyat's voice was filled with sarcasm. Luke shot him a glare.

"Knock it off Kolyat, we have to take Lia to a hospital. I am sorry Shepard, but we have to go…" Shepard was about to speak when Luke smiled deviously. "But before we go.." Luke got biotic power on his right leg and launched a powerful roundhouse kick to Jorax's mouth, causing blue blood spillon all directions and the criminal's body to fall limply to the ground.

Mindus smirked. "The least that bastard deserves." Kolyat just smiled and nodded in agreement with the turian's statement.

"Indeed, though he is not dead yet… Leave him to the Black Hand; I am sure those guys will treat him 'well.'" Luke chuckled while turning to Shepard.

"We have to go take my friend to the hospital Shepard so if you excuse us." Luke then started to walk towards the exit of the fortress when Shepard spoke.

"You know, we have a great doctor in our ship that is very knowledgeable of quarian physiology, free of charge and gives me the opportunity to speak with each you."

Luke was impressed. Shepard's voice did have a great deal of command. His companions, both extremely dangerous individuals were blindly following anywhere. A drell assassin and a turian sniper, both renegade in their own right, but deadly at any given battle. Shepard was truly not just a really able leader, but also a great strategist by the looks. Strategy didn't just involve tactics; it also involved leadership, loyalty and devotion. _'And he has all of that…'_

Luke thought for a couple of seconds, looking at Lia and then to Shepard, who was waiting patiently for an answer. '_Racist bastards may not want to treat her in a proper hospital. I can take her with Dr. Michel but… nah Shepard is not a bad guy anyway.'_

"Okay, we will go with you guys but no funny Spectre business." Luke's neutral tone spoke to the three powerful soldiers.

Shepard smiled. "Knew you would accept, let's go get your 'friend' some proper help." He said the word friend in heavy sarcasm, making Garrus and Thane chuckle. Luke shot him a glare while Mindus was exchanging daggers with Garrus through their eyes.

'_One hell of a day… shit…'_ Luke thought as the six soldiers marched to the exit of the fortress, leaving an unconscious Jorax to his painful demise….

* * *

"I am telling you man, she will be fine." Mindus was tired of Luke's pacing in front of the medbay. He was not just nervous from Lia being in a bad condition, they were surrounded by Cerberus operatives…. _'Good Lord, if they make a move I swear..'_

"Hello there, you must be the heroes of the day!" Kelly said softly. Mindus looked at her and chuckled while Luke turned to see her.

"We just did our duty." She seemed nice, but she was Cerberus, the doctor treating Lia was Cerberus, hell SHEPARD was Cerberus. _'This feels like a big fuckup'_

"What has gotten you so pensive?" Mindus asked as he stared at Luke.

"Where is Kolyat?" Luke asked as he started feeling nervous with that red head approaching.

The turian shrugged. "Don't know, I think he went to visit his father by the looks of it, as he was pissed."

Luke chuckled. _'I hope they get better, Kolyat deserves nothing more than proper family support.' _Now he was trying to ignore the lady, but she kept pressing.

"You must be Luke de la Vega, impressive dossier by the way." She chuckled.

"Oh, thanks… I guess." Luke grabbed his neck. He was nervous. Imagine a Cerberus woman knowing about your achievements and god knows what else. _'Fuck me twice'_

"You know…for being Cerberus you are nice." Mindus was nervous of her presence, but had to bring it up. It was the thing making them uncomfortable after all.

"Cerberus? Ah, the insignias... Don't worry Shepard just told them a big 'screw you' after going through the Omega Four Relay."

Both Mindus and Luke stared at her. _'He did what?'_

* * *

Tali'Zorah Vas Normandy had been checking the engines for hours. She never got tired of working, she just didn't, it looked like she was in a contest of who is most efficient crewmember, and she was beating everyone. The only thing that encouraged her to get out of engineering was the nice and good sleep in the 'Captain's Quarters.' She smirked at the thought of that. Shepard, Lion of Elysium, Hero of the Citadel and one of the most powerful soldiers in the galaxy, only wanted her. She smiled warmly, letting the memories flood of their intimate experience before hitting the Omega Four Relay and their subsequent nights of passion after the mission.

She heard the door hissing on her back. She shrugged, thinking it was either Donnelly or Gaby getting out for supplies or paying a visit to Chef Gardner, the most overrated cook in the galaxy. '_Overrated? Kelaah I am thinking like Shepard now.'_

Suddenly, she felt warm arms slowly making way to surround her petite waist. She blushed as Donnelly winked at her from his terminal, less than seven feet away from her. She arched her back, enjoying the touch of the seemingly unknown lover as he gently caressed her abdomen. She gently spun around to meet him.

She was met by bright blue eyes, as blue as an ocean. Shepard grinned at her as he spoke softly. "How is my favorite engineer doing?"

Tali blushed but smiled behind her visor. "Engines are fine and running smoothly… my captain."

There was something in her voice that made Shepard calm. He also had to admit that her accent was very sexy. He felt so lucky to have a girl like her. The nights of passion they have had were simply out of this universe, and Shepard considered himself the luckiest guy on the galaxy. '_She's all mine.'_

"My captain? Oh well I gotta reach that rank so that you can call me that every single day Miss Vas Normandy."

Tali giggled. "You don't need that; you are a captain already for me."

Shepard smiled and kissed her visor, which brought giggles from both Tali and Gaby.

"So… what is my captain doing here so early?"

"Well, remember the quarian lady I helped? The one having trouble with that fatass volus and the racist C-Sec agent?" Shepard asked softly. He was trying to fight the urge to claw his way into her face and kiss her until there was no tomorrow, but he was controlling it now.

"Yes, yes I do. Why?" She tilted her head to the side to give him a confused stare, which brought a chuckle from Shepard.

"She's here, being treated by Chakwas. She was being held a prisoner by a gang ready to sell her as a slave." The former N7 Commando explained to a startled looking quarian.

"Keelah! Let's go see my fleet sister!" She was about to make her way out of engineering when Shepard held her tightly.

"Don't worry, your fleet sister, as you call her, will be fine. She just didn't eat for three days, but she will be fine." Shepard smiled at her reassuringly.

"Just? Three days is a lot Shepard!" She was a little mad at Shepards for being a little 'go by the flow' like if he didn't care or anything.

"Don't worry…" Shepard grinned as he whispered. "She is going to be fine, Dr. Chakwas already told me."

Tali calmed down after that and just sighed. "Who rescued her? You?"

Shepard chuckled while he gestured with his hand for her to follow him to the drive core. She held his hand and went with him to that place where she had confessed, not too long ago, that she had feelings for the greatest human in the galaxy since the old Saren hunting days.

Finally, they got there and Shepard said softly. "No, she was rescued by someone else before we got there."

Tali looked shocked. "Who would rescue a quarian from a heavily armed gang?"

Shepard smirked. "His name is Luke, Luke de la Vega, a very good soldier and strategist…. human by the way. He and his friends Mindus, a turian, and Kolyat, Thane's son, rescued her before we got there and offered our ship and supplies for her treatment."

Tali smiled at Shepard's friendly attitude towards people. "Sounds too nice coming from you. Why would you offer to help them?"

"Bait Tali, I am interested in their services, we need all the help we can get."

Tali chuckled. "You always say that don't you?"

"What?" Shepard tilted his head to the right, to show her he was in deep confusion.

"It's either 'we need all the help we can get' or 'I should go' clearly your best phrases right Commander?" She tried to make a deep voice at each imitation of Shepards voice, but it sounded 'cute' to Shepard. Still, this was not normal for her.

Shepard stared at her with a blank face. "You should stop hanging out with Garrus."

* * *

"You were NEVER a father! You were just a man that walked away from my life." Kolyat was mad, not just mad but royally pissed. Thane had been trying to speak with him for the last thirteen minutes but Kolyat kept shouting about their strained relationship.

"And then you abandoned my mother, your wife for pity sake! What did you do? You left me. Father you say? More like a man I never wished to meet in my entire LIFE!"

Those words had hurt Thane, so much that a single tear ran through his cheek.

"You are right; I was never a father figure to you. I do not deserve your forgiveness, not for a man like me, who was done so many bad deeds." Thane then looked at him, trying to see something on his son's eyes, looking for love or at least forgiveness. He found none.

"However, I did bring you to this world, and I am really proud of doing that Kolyat. Irikah would be so proud of you being an agent of the law."

Kolyat did everything he could but he had to smile. Thane caught this, and started applying pressure.

"I am so proud of you, my son, for having great companions and doing something good with your life. Something I never had a chance to do. You make me proud and I am sure your mother would be rejoicing right now."

Kolyat's body language kept saying back off, but Thane proceeded to give his son, for the first time in years, a big hug. A father-son hug that makes love flow like water through a waterfall, powerful and unstoppable, that leads to nothing more that happiness.

Kolyat did not put resistance and smiled as he threw his arms and cried sobbed. Not out of sadness, but out of happiness that he was spending some time with his father, and probably some their last moments.

Thane smiled warmly for the first time in so many years. He felt his smile rusty for not using it for some many years, but now it just came out, and stronger than ever.

Both men kept hugging until they began talking. Thane recounted their battle against the Collectors while Kolyat spoke of Luke and Mindus, making Thane laugh sometimes, another thing he did not quite do…

* * *

"She will get better, trust me man, you are being cheesy." Mindus was tired of seeing Luke pacing around while smoking, again.

Luke rambled. "I should have… I should have been there. Fucking Jorax and his bullshit, all of this because of him… but it's my fault." He stopped as he looked down, as if ashamed.

Mindus had enough. "Now how in the hell is it your damn FAULT! We never suspected him being a gang member, much less the freaking boss of them."

"I know, but… I… I should have kept an eye on her." Luke sat down and took a deep drag of his cigarette, which got the attention of someone else in the mess hall.

"Excuse me." A feminine, heavily accented voice broke through both Luke and Mindus, which made them turn their heads to the source of it.

Luke saw a young woman, probably in her mid twenties, long black hair and pale white. Her accent was funny, but Luke tried to get through it, guess it maybe. _'British? Australian?'_

"Hello there ma'am." Both agents answered.

Mindus stood up and got right next to Luke as Miranda looked at them intently. "Nice body right?" Mindus was chuckling.

"Shut up." She was attractive, yes she was, no doubt about that. Luke, however, saw a cold exterior in her, cold, calculating face, and eyes that could throw not daggers but maces at people. _'If there are people who can make others shit by just looking at them, she has it'_

"De la Vega? Vactus?" Both men nodded at the human female, still standing, now with hands behind her back. "I am Miranda Lawson, second in command of this ship and XO. On this ship we follow orders, so I expect that from you gentlemen and to be at your best attitudes and to not cause any incidents on this ship."

Again, both men nodded. Shit, she carried a lot of command on her voice. Not like Shepard, of course, but still a lot to get you to attention.

Luke couldn't help but ask, his curiosity getting the better off him. "You are British? Australian?"

Miranda nodded. "Australian, yes."

Luke just nodded. "Knew it." He then shot a glance at Mindus, who was just trying to follow the conversation. "You owe me a six pack by the way."

"What? Why?"

"Remember the bet? You said 'Luke I bet you a six pack that we will get owned on that ship by Cerberus within two hours.' Guess what? It's been two hours." Luke laughed while Mindus shot him a glare and growled.

"Fine! But just because I need a drink asshole."

Miranda rolled her eyes. "As I said, no problems or you are off this ship. I will be in my office if you have any questions." She then turned and got to a room, not too far from them.

"Cold bitch." Mindus muttered. Luke just laughed.

"You asshole, you are making me laugh in these dark times, shut it!"

"We need a drink man, but let's just wait until we know if Lia will be able to walk today." Luke commented before any other stupid comment could come out of Mindus' mouth.

"Walk? Come one man, she just didn't eat for three days. She will be fine. Also, maybe that guy over there has alcohol."

Both men turned and saw a man, in his middle years, leaning against a kitched. He turned to see them and smiled. "Don't look at me, I am not an alcoholic." He raised his hands innocently.

Luke and Mindus chuckled until they heard footsteps, and saw Commander Shepard with the famous quarian engineer, Tali'Zorah, coming out of the elevator.

Shepard smiled as he got them to meet Tali. "Hey guys, this is Tali'Zorah. Tali, these are Mindus and Luke, two of the three that saved the day today." He smirked.

Tali paid a close look at the pair. _'Odd…' _A human and a turian together as best friends? Well, Shepard and Garrus are best friends and blood brothers, but it was hard to see it on other people. Tali thought about it carefully. _'Well, let us see if they are friendly'_

Both Luke and Mindus bowed their heads slightly and smiled at Tali.

"Luke de la Vega, pleasure to meet you ma'am." Luke said as he pulled a hand, which Tali shook.

Mindus did the same thing. "Mindus Vactus at your service ma'am."

Tali laughed. "Enough with the ma'am, I've had enough with a friend of mine who keeps calling me that way, just Tali."

Luke smiled. "Alright…. Tali."

Mindus threw a lazy salute at her and smiled. "Yes ma'a- I mean Tali." Tali chuckled as Mindus smirked. _'Cocky and bad comedian, like Garrus... Oh well' _She thought as she chuckled quietly.

Shepard then threw a look at the Hero of Truba. "Guys we should talk."

"About?" Mindus asked.

Luke got curious. "Yeah what about?"

"Chakwas just messaged me and she said that Lia is able to see guests right now-"

Shepard didn't get to finish as Luke ran towards the medbay, leaving a breathless Mindus on the way.

"Wait for me man! She's not going anywhere!"

Both left leaving a chuckling couple looking at them.

* * *

Lia woke up and saw lights everywhere. She thought she was in the afterlife or something. She then saw a human standing by her, smiling.

"Nice of you to wake up, you have your boyfriend outside pacing like a maniac." She said softly.

The quarian turned to the doctor. "Boyfriend?"

"Yes, Luke, he has been outside of the door for hours, waiting on you."

Lia smiled. _'He does care deeply about me'_

"Where is he now?" The quarian asked.

"He is currently talking to Commander Shepard, so maybe…" The human then glanced at the door, which hissed open. "He is here, so I will leave you with him, though promise me you will EAT and DRINK no matter what." The words stressed by her voice were pretty loud and clear to Lia.

This human had to be a doctor. Now that Lia could see perfectly, she saw an old looking human female with a medic uniform.

"Yes ma'am." Lia replied sofly.

Doctors were very respected by quarians, no matter the species, as they were the ones who could save them from death in case of suit breaches or wounds that could threaten their lives.

The human doctor smiled and nodded towards the other presence in the room as she left.

"Hey." Luke said softly as he got closer to the bed.

Lia smiled. She felt her cheeks hurt as she tried to contain a huge grin on her face.

"Hello." She replied.

Luke smiled as he made a body scan on her, which caused her to blush automatically.

"Are you okay? How are you?"

"I am good." She smiled again. "I feel much better. Fluids are now being passed to my body, so basically I am eating right now… through a tube inserted on my veins…"

Luke smirked. "You eat through a tube after all."

Lia chuckled. "You bosh'tet." She playfully replied.

"I am just so happy you are okay." Luke said before blushing himself.

Lia felt butterflies on her stomach. "Thank you." She replied.

They heard the door hiss again and saw Mindus at the front.

"Hey Lia, how are you doing?"

"Good." She replied softly.

Mindus smirked. "I don't know how you are weak, after that pouncing on Luke that almost left him crippled." It made Lia blushed hardcore.

Luke shot a friendly glare at his best friend. "Shut it."

Again, the door hissed, revealing a smiling Shepard alongside Tali. "Second thing was that you are going to meet my team, right now."

Both men smiled. "Of course, but what about Lia?" Luke asked.

Tali paid close attention to him and smiled. '_Overprotective, scratch that now from the list.'_

"Don't worry, she will stay here with the doctor, but you guys and Kolyat should meet my team." Shepard then smirked. "Full of the best of the best. Krogan, mercenaries, snipers, thieves, convicts and assassins." Shepard laughed when he saw their jaws wide open.

"Oh and you will also meet a Justicar and another surprise for you after her." Shepard was enjoying this. _'Let us see how they react. If they are military and great, like a think, then this should no problemo'_

Both Mindus and Luke thought in unison, like damn twins. _'Fuck me over times a kajillion times' _With Lia having a gasp.

* * *

Shit, agents of the law, C-Sec for Crissakes, and they are meeting the most violent people in the galaxy. You can imagine.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. R&R

As always, big thank you to all who review my story, it's quite amazing. And it's awesome that I am getting close to the 100 reviews! EXCELLENT!

Romance, lots of comedy and a little action for next chapter.

Also, here is the credit song for the end of this chapter XD

.com/watch?v=nHQaUTSFPNA

Just type YouTube and then copy paste the rest of the link. ENJOY!

NEXT CHAPTER: Bad Company

Hope that says it all…


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry for the delay but beta reading and other stories kept me busy. However, I promise now that this story will take greater priority.

R&R!

**GhostofOnyx**: Would like to see you try... Nah, just kidding pal, here you go ;)

**XXXWOLFLOVERXXX**: Thanks mate! Enjoy this chapter!

**king1367**: Thanks, your review made me smile. Enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it!

**JustAFerret**: Klenon will make an important appearance. I will make these two badassess fight. You should do the same in your story! Would love to see a boxer/martial artist like Luke fight a tough as nails quarian biotic like Klenon!

Thanks for the reviews y'all, I appreciate your good feedback and will reward you people with continuous chapters. Some may be short, others will be fairly long. Depends on the situation and mood hehe.

Also, will like to recommend Mass Effect: Through the Fire and Flames. Story is really nice but its really underrated. I mean, 37 reviews for such a good story? Come on! Go and make this guy happy and enjoy a good and different Shep/Tali story!

I probably will take a good week absence at the end of June, I leave to CANCUN! Hell yes! Don't want to brag but yeah, Cancun is awesome.

Alright, enough, let us read shall we?

* * *

Chapter 14: Bad Company

'_He must be joking'_ Mindus was shocked. A team of ruthless mercenaries, assassins, thieves and bounty hunters at the command of a paragon like Commander Shepard. Truly, a thing no one expects from the "hero of humanity."

Luke had his eyes go wide as the door hissed and Kolyat entered the room with a smile plastered on his face.

"Hey guys, why the shocked faces?" Kolyat asked chuckling.

Mindus turned.

"Because we are in hell it seems…" Replied the turian agent.

"Huh?"

Luke then spoke, his voice uncertain. "Looks like this ship… has some of the worst individuals in the galaxy… and they are friends with Shepard."

"Who are you calling that bitch!"

The trio turned and saw a small, overly tattooed woman, probably on her early twenties. She was bald and her eyes had the fire of hell itself, so they froze, piss just missing to come out.

Shepard chuckled while holding hands with Tali. "This is Jack, the most powerful human biotic in the galaxy, she's nice guys." Shepard then turned towards the small human. "Jack, these are Luke de la Vega, Mindus Vactus and Kolyat Krios, excellent soldiers." Stressing the word soldiers for Jack to show some respect to them. _'Heh, she behaves like a krogan, but Grunt shows more respect than her most of the time' _The spectre thought.

Jack glared at Shepard. "I am not some fucking bunny Shepard! And dang, we have a pussy, a moth and a frog, how nice."

"A moth?" Mindus asked, trying to get on her good side. Too bad this was not the way…

"Yeah, you turians look like moths." Jack smirked at the soccer loving turian, who was looking at her with wide eyes. _'The hell is a moth?'_

"Jack, they are not some random guys you can intimidate. They took out a fifty man strong base with style." Shepard declared to the small, fiery human.

"Whatever, I just want them far from my place." She then stormed off, leaving the three C-Sec agents with their mouths open.

Tali was now chuckling. "Can't wait until you meet our geth friend."

"This is not freaking happening." Luke said with such a feeling that made both Shepard and Tali laugh. Mindus just shook his head while Kolyat stood stiffly and chuckled nervously.

* * *

"Yes sir. No, we don't know who did this but we will find out." Vic replied as he and his men had taken over the area that was once the main stronghold of the Shadow Gang, now nonexistent.

After the base was raided, the Shadow Gang was completely wiped out. Lack of communication, cooperation and infighting because of the fall of Jorax ensured the Black Hand an easy job in launching a ferocious offensive.

"Yes sir, we will, Vic out." He then turned off his radio and took a long look at the fortress. It looked strong. It overlooked the only street that passed by, such a good defensive position. Yet… it was taken out. How come? By whom? And why? The Shadow Gang had rivals, sure, but they were wiped out in the first days of the Black Hand invasion. _'I need to find out who did this…;_

A turian and a human approached the quarian captain, who was overlooking the patio of the fortress.

The human was the first to speak. "Sir, we have a witness of what happened here, claims she saw everything until they left."

Vic smiled. "Alright, where is she?"

The turian soldier pointed at some crates. "She is right there, probably waiting for your arrival."

Vic nodded and made his way towards the asari with his bodyguards, a human and a krogan.

The asari turned and frowned at the sight. A krogan, a human and a quarian, so odd… And familiar perhaps? No way to know.

"Okay, miss, start from the beginning, how did you see this and who did it?" Vic asked.

The asari shifted uncomfortably. "I was sleeping in one of those buildings, waiting for my next job…"

"Hooker." The human bodyguard commented, making the krogan laugh. "That is how all asari are, selling their bodies to the highest bidder; that is how they got power after all." The krogan replied to the human while chuckling.

Vic glared at the two while the asari looked down to the floor. "That's enough, you are soldiers. You have discipline, act like it!"

Both soldiers frowned and stood in attention at the fiery quarian captain. _'Assholes.'_

The quarian then gestured with his hand for the asari to continue.

"Yes, ummmm…. I woke up to strange sounds. I looked through my window and saw a drell on the second floor of that building…" She pointed at a building a little far from them. "and a human on the first floor, looked like the leader because of his hand gestures."

"Just those two?"

"No, there was a turian too, sniper. He was on another building." She then looked at the burned bodies of the fallen Shadow Gang soldiers, which were piled up against the wall. "It was a massacre, they never stood a chance."

"Do you know why they were assaulting this base?"

"No, but I am pretty sure it was because of that quarian. I heard her screams at night. She screamed 'Luke,' dunno what or who that is, but they were here for her."

Vic tilted his head to the right, showing confusion. "You mean those three assaulted a fifty man strong base to rescue a quarian?" Even he, a quarian, could not believe that three men risked their lives to save a lobe quarian. _'Maybe she is a great engineer and they worked for a company? Nah, too farfetched.' _

"She was no common quarian that is for sure. The human that was part of that team is completely in love with her."

Vic smirked. "Is that so? How would you figure that?"

"I've seen them before; the human is a C-Sec agent who rescued her from the slums a while back. He is a nice guy."

Vic's eyes widened. _'It's him, the man from the video, the one fighting alongside that quarian. It's got to be him'_

"The human was sexy by the way. Tall, green eyes, very well built and a strong biotic."

'_Yes, it's definitely him'_

The quarian smiled and nodded. "Thank you for your testimony, your service has been noted for the Black Hand."

The trio was about to leave when the asari spoke again.

"Be warned though!" She screamed to make the quarian turn to face her. "Those three are with Commander Shepard now; he got here just after they destroyed this base and escorted them out."

Vic smiled. "Oh thank you, Shepard would be a great ally for our cause."

* * *

"I am telling you, we got to get out of here… and drink." Mindus was having a shock after meeting Jack. Both Luke and Kolyat were calm enough to listen to his rambling.

"We need to report to Bailey, he said we had to go to his house and.." Mindus did not finish as Shepard raised his hand to interrupt him.

"I talked to him; he said you guys would be a great loss but reassures me that you will be a great asset to my cause."

"I don't know Shepard, I mean we do believe in the Reapers and all of that stuff, but still, where are we going? And how in hell did you convince Bailey to get us?"

"We are going to get rid of every Cerberus logo and then go meet someone at the Migrant Fleet." Shepard smirked before he continued. "Bailey said that you may be able to investigate about the Black Hand better elsewhere. He also said that you will be safer after what you did to the Gang's base a little while ago."

Luke's eyes widened. "Dang, I always wanted to go to the Migrant Fleet since high school."

"High school? Luke, I am shocked! I thought you didn't finish school." Mindus came with his teasing again.

"At least we don't live under a dictatorship." Luke replied smiling at his best friend.

"You humans are so good at it. I mean Naplon, Hister and Caesar!"

"Its Napoleon and Hitler you genius."

Shepard and Tali were laughing at the little teasing fight until the room began to fill with strange people, all of different races, except of course for a couple of humans.

Luke and his friends were wide eyed at the amount of firepower Shepard's crew had. Tali, Jack, Thane and Garrus were already powerful enough, but now, they saw why the Collectors were obliterated with ruthless efficacy.

"Gentlemen, these are my loyal squad mates, all of them participated in the assault on the Collector base just over a week ago."

Luke smiled while Mindus looked back and forth at the new people assembled.

"Shit Shepard, and I thought the Messiah was Jesus." Luke commented.

The humans in the room laughed at his comment while the aliens just looked at him quizzically.

"Okay guys, let's start shall we?" Shepard said as he gestured with his hand at the first member closest to him.

"This is Jacob, ex-Cerberus, good fighter and current Gunnery Chief of the Normandy."

Jacob smiled and nodded.

Mindus nodded and proceeded to shake his hand. "What's up my nigga!"

Everyone on the room fell silent and Shepard just looked at Mindus with wide eyes.

"That is racist you retard!" Luke whispered to his friend.

Jacob then started laughing and shook his head. "Had not heard that in many years, no offense taken Mindus."

Mindus smiled while Luke just shook his head. "Next time you'll get a punch man."

"Oh come, lots of songs we listen to keep saying that!"

Shepard interrupted before the two friends started arguing again.

"Alright enough, I don't want this to turn into a laughter contest. This is Justicar Samara, the most powerful biotic I've ever seen and a great friend."

Samara nodded at them. Suddenly, the three friends knelt before her.

"Our great pleasure to meet you Justicar." They said in unison.

Samar just smiled. "Nice to see some know how to greet a Justicar." She said as she looked at Shepard, who just scratched his neck.

The three got up and shook their hands with the asari powerhouse.

"It is an honor ma'am, we heard a lot about you. Though we admire you and all, we really did not want you in our district." Luke said honestly.

Samara just smiled and nodded. "I understand Luke, it is good that you are being honest with me."

"Yeah, who would want to lie to a Justicar?" Garrus commented. Everyone on the room laughed, safe for Mindus, who just smiled.

Shepard grinned and turned to Miranda. "This is Operative Miranda Lawson, current XO of the Normandy."

Miranda just nodded at them, with no smile or at least a grin.

"Yeah we met before." Luke said seriously.

Mindus and Kolyat just nodded at her. Shepard saw the little animosity they had at Miranda and shrugged.

"Alright, this is Zaeed Massani, everyone here calls him Z man, story teller and bounty hunter.

Luke was the first to step in and shake his hand. "Heard a lot about you Mr. Massani, you are really famous in our district."

Zaeed smiled. "Really? I work in the Terminus mostly."

"Yeah, but we heard of your dealings and jobs on Citadel Space, plus your past as an Alliance Marine, nice." Mindus commented.

"Also heard of your sniping abilities, looking forward to see them." Kolyat said with enthusiasm.

Zaeed smiled and nodded. "Oh I will show you rookies, and just call me Z, please don't call me Mr. Massani, I feel like a hag when they call me that."

Luke laughed hard while the rest chuckled. "Alright Z, you win."

Zaeed stepped aside as a really cute female human stepped forward. "Konnichiwa." She said.

Luke grinned. "Konnichiwa Goto misu."

Kasumi laughed softly. "Never thought you knew Japanese."

"Part of high school and college." Luke replied.

Mindus was strangely quiet and did not move. "Yo! Mindus? Wake up dude, the lady is waiting for you." Luke exclaimed.

'_How embarrassing, I was staring!' _

"Hello Miss Goto, pleasure to meet you." Mindus finally introduced himself. He then suddenly shook his head. "My name is Mindus by the way."

Kolyat shook his head and stepped forward. "You probably already know me, but I am Kolyat and it's a pleasure to meet one of the greatest thieves right now."

Kasumi giggled. "Greatest." She cockily replied.

The three chuckled. Everyone in the room smiled. The mood was getting a lot better.

"Alright, this is my right hand man, Garrus Vakarian. You already know, but it doesn't matter, man deserves a shout out." The tall turian stepped forward and smirked at his best friend, the great Commander Shepard.

Garrus nodded at the three musketeers. "De La Vega, Vactus, Krios… Jr I guess?"

Luke laughed while Mindus chuckled. Kolyat narrowed his eyes at the turian.

"Nice to meet you _turian._" Luke stopped laughing and threw a glance at his friend Kolyat, clearly upset."

"Calm down man, he is just joking around." Mindus said so as to ease tension. Even though he obviously did not like Garrus, he was sure that a confrontation will result in instant death for them. They were surrounded by deadly warriors and biotic powerhouses, so they had to be extra careful with their jokes and antics.

"I was just joking Kolyat, you know that." Garrus said trying to smile at the young and defiant drell.

"Sorry Garrus, nice to meet you." Kolyat reluctantly replied.

The turian sharpshooter smiled and nodded, stepping aside for the giant coming in.

"Guys, this is Urdnot Grunt, my loyal student and great warrior."

The powerful krogan shot a look at them and smiled.

"Heh, I can smell their scent, it says they don't fear me, good."

The trio nodded. "We've fought krogan before, so not surprising for us, though you are pretty big for a young krogan." Luke said.

"Yeah, we've never seen a krogan with blue eyes." Mindus joined.

"I am a perfect krogan, not surprising." Replied a cocky Grunt.

The three smiled and nodded. "Pleasure to meet you Grunt, looking forward to see you in action."

"Likewise." The krogan grunted.

As he walked to the side, a salarian came up, looking kind of strange. He was missing a horn, several scars all over the place and fast moving.

"Doctor Solus, pleasure. De la Vega, Vactus, Krios, looking forward to see in action. Would also like to see you in my laboratory for proper studies."

"Studies of what?" Kolyat asked.

"Normal checkups, drill for military based ships." The doctor replied.

"He is a genius and a very intelligent man. You will get to see that later." Shepard commented while chuckling.

After Solus was done mumbling, a figure stepped in.

"Shepard-Commander, we look forward to work with them."

Luke had his mouth wide open while Mindus and Kolyat shifted uncomfortably. _'Oh Jesus, a geth? A geth? I thought Tali was joking!'_

Mindus was having a hard time to not piss on his suit. _'Spirits, this shit is for real….'_

Kolyat just stood there, dumbfounded and highly nervous.

The geth looked at Shepard. "Shepard-Commander, we detect high blood pressure from Vega-Detective, Vactus-Detective and Krios-Detective." This earned a chuckle from the Commander, and he was about to speak when he heard the door hiss.

Suddenly, a feminine figure stepped in. She went after Luke.

"Luke, sorry, I just woke up from a nap and… and…"

Lia stared at the machine with wide eyes behind her visor.

Tali was expecting something big. _'Oh Keelah, this will end bad if-'_

"GETH!"

Shepard face palmed himself. "Not again…" He mumbled.

* * *

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I felt that a short but straight to the point chapter would be better, also leaving you guys with a good cliff hanger.

**R&R!** Vote on my poll and voice your concerns, opinions, critique, anything you want. This is a free website!

**Thanks for the support!**


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks for the support people. I have been getting good reviews and criticism. Everything is appreciated, one way or another.

Thanks y'all!

A shout out for Mass Effect: Through the Fire and Flames and the Long Tale, Act 1. I don't know how people prefer to read self inserts over good stories such as these two. Well, sorry about that hahaha, I just don't like 'em, as you saw with my troll story about Talimancers with self inserts XD!

Enjoy the chapter and remember, reviews are more than welcome! Almost 100! YES!

* * *

Chapter 15: Mr. Roboto

Slow motion was the feeling our friends were having right now. Luke was shocked; Mindus was almost pissing on his suit while Kolyat was just standing like a statue, unmoving, too shocked to move.

However, none of this was compared to Lia, who had been looking at the geth, her body trembling and her hands looking for a weapon in her suit, and there was none. She tried to take a step into where the geth was, which was just looking intently at the group.

"Shepard-Commander, we recommend caution, blood levels rising." Said the geth out loud as Shepard's squad was dead silent due to the dangerous situation.

Suddenly, Luke's onmi-tool ringed out loud with an old song…

"_Domo arigato Mr. Roboto… Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto!" _

Luke rolled his eyes. _'Not right now dad!'_

Kasumi giggled, breaking the silence for good. "That song suits our friend here Legion."

Kasumi earned a few laughs and chuckles from the crew while Luke narrowed his eyes at the geth unit.

"Can't believe this thing has a name…" He muttered.

Mindus stepped closer to Luke and replied to his comment. "Maybe if we call it R2D2 it will get friendly…"

The commander face palmed his face and shook his head with a smile plastered on his face. "Guys, Legion is friendly, it-"

"Lia behind me." Luke ordered the quarian girl, who obeyed and got behind him.

"Guys, we should send a virus, hopefully knock it out." Kolyat commented.

"This platform will not tolerate hostility tow-"

"That is enough Legion, guys it is a geth, yes, but it is friendly! Hear me out for a second." Shepard said in a happy but worrying tone.

The three looked at each other and nodded.

"Alright geth slayer, we'll hear ya." Mindus said. His other two friends nodded. Lia just stood behind Luke, being protected by his impressive height, eyeing up the geth unit while… smelling Luke's scent?

Shepard was amused by the quarian girl. _'Tali was right'_

Shepard laughed and shook his head. "Look, Legion has saved our lives countless times, it is friendly and it will not do anything to you. Legion, say hello to Miss Vael, maybe this way they will understand what I am saying."

Legion looked at the quarian girl and approached, only to be greeted by blue aura coming from the former N7 Commando.

"Touch her Robocop and you will be sold in scraps." Luke said as he narrowed his eyes towards the geth platform.

Tali smiled at Luke and his reaction. _'Overprotective, scratch that too'_

"We come in peace, De la Vega-Detective; we wish to inform you and your companions that we do not intend harm upon any of you. Greetings Creator Lia'Vael." The geth platform spoke in a robotic tone, of course.

"Alright R2D2, we believe you." Mindus said as he put his hand on Luke's shoulder. "I think its friendly dude."

The aura from Luke had sent alarms to the crew. Grunt just watched with a smile on his face, eager for a fight, Samara was calm, Zaeed was just eyeing up the confrontation while Jacob was laughing with the comments.

"Seriously? R2D2? Never saw that one coming." Jacob complimented the group, in an attempt to ease tension in the room.

Garrus just shrugged. "This better end well, or else it will be a shame to get in trouble with C-Sec yet again. Still, good Star Wars quote rook."

Miranda, for the contrary, was smiling! "Star Wars… how original." She said while smiling warmly at the trio of misfits. It was obvious she was trying to ease tension with her smiling, which had sent shockwaves throughout the room.

Shepard smirked deviously and whispered to Tali, who was right next to him. "She looks cute when she smiles right?"

Tali turned and narrowed her eyes at him. "Say that again bosh'tet, and you will be sleeping on the couch tonight."

The geth slayer and current Spectre laughed and just held her hand. "I was just kidding love!" He whispered.

The five star quarian engineer huffed her chest and crossed her arms. "You will be sleeping today on the couch."

'_Heh, we'll see….'_

Out of nowhere, Tali jumped and stared at Shepard with wide eyes.

"What was that?" She asked fiercely, grabbing her butt…

"Oh, just a token of what is coming tonight." He whispered again, which made her melt.

"Just because of that, I forgive you…. big bosh'tet." Her breath was a little ragged…

Shepard just smiled. _'Hell yes.'_

Garrus coughed and pointed at the new trio, who were just looking at Shepard, as if waiting for him to talk.

"Alright guys, get reacquainted and all, I will give you a tour shortly, just tell me… where can you guys work?"

Mindus smirked. "Where there is alcohol close by."

Everyone laughed and shook their heads in amusement.

Luke just smiled and pointed at his friends, at his sides. "Me, Mindus and Kolyat are good with weapons, as you saw a little while ago. Lia here is an excellent engineer who will surely provide a lot of force in the engineering department…"

* * *

'_Damn, this is getting tense..' _ The quarian leader thought as he poured a drink into his helmet and tasted dextro tequila to calm his nerves.

'_Those three are exceptional, they have military strategy, discipline and ferocity in the battlefield… we need them.' _He thought again as he glanced around.

He was now sitting in the office of Jorax, fallen leader of the Shadow Gang and a man about to be brought to him.

Although C-Sec got him arrested, the Black Hand started using their connections with the high ranking officers of the Citadel police organization. Vic smiled at the thought of such a prestigious yet corrupt organization. _'Every system has its flaws, and C-Sec just gets the trophy for being so vulnerable… still, that Bailey is nice.'_

Captain Armando Bailey was a man of great standing on Vic's books. He was not racist; he was fierce and reckless on his job, did things the way it should be, simple and effective. He respected the power the Black Hand had but still remained neutral after his meeting with the cartel diplomats. _'Smart man…'_

Vic's radio then beeped. The quarian sighed and took the call.

"What is it?"

"Sir, we have the package just outside, awaiting your command…" The voice sounded gurglish, almost like a turian or drell.

"Bring him in." The quarian leader replied and stood at his desk, waiting for the package to get in.

The door opened and four soldiers stepped in, with a certain turian on their hands…

They dropped him on the floor roughly and chuckled amongst themselves. Three of the soldiers were human, but the last one was… a drell.

"Sir, I am your new lieutenant here. I was sent by high command."

The quarian smiled and eyed up the drell. He looked buff and extremely strong, but also calm and disciplined.

"What is your name drell?" The quarian asked while watching the turian moaning on the floor, probably from a beating he took from the soldiers that carried him back to his former fortress…

"Vagus, Vagus Rodriguez."

The quarian tilted his head in confusion and asked. "Rodriguez? Isn't that a human last name?"

The drell smiled and nodded. "I was raised by humans after I was abandoned. I know Spanish and English, and I usually socialize with humans..."

The quarian nodded. "Good, you will be in command of our human regiment. Your language skills will be useful to raise morale there." He finished as he took a few steps towards Jorax.

"Leave us; I have some unfinished business with this cuttle-bone…"

The humans laughed and nodded while the drell just saluted and proceeded to leave. The door was closed. Vic smiled wickedly as he began his speech.

"Oh the irony my dear Jorax don't you think?" He said as he sat on a chair and played with his gun. "You betrayed your bosses and assumed command of this piece of shit you called a gang. That was barely a few months ago."

Jorax looked at the quarian with wide eyes. "How can a damn scavenger like you is in command now?" Turians… defiant or stupid to the end. This turian was a racist that was for sure.

"Well, I fought my way through the ranks and impressed my bosses so much they put me here. What about you? You betrayed not only your principles but also C-Sec. Not counting friends and associates."

Jorax tried to laugh but coughed blood instead. "There are no friends, just money and power."

Vic shook his head and kicked the turian, slamming him to the wall.

"Whatever you say birdie but hey, everything fell in a matter of seconds, thanks to a quarian hmmm? Not so much of a scavenger huh?"

The turian grunted in annoyance as he tried to get up, but his bones were too damaged, so he crawled towards Vic.

"That bitch is involved with that primate. He got her to work with us in the first place."

"Primate, you mean human?"

"Whatever. He and that turian got her to work with us. I always wanted to extract revenge from those little shits."

Vic laughed. "Revenge for what?"

The turian looked at him and said, "for what they did to me..."

The quarian waited as Jorax began his tale, coughing and grunting in the process.

* * *

*FLASHBACK* TWO YEARS EARLIER

A human and a turian were playing soccer just outside of their offices with a paper ball, to the annoyance and amuse of fellow detectives and officers. People would shake their heads and smile at their efforts to play such a sport in a small alley.

"Luke, you have skills, I'll give you that, but no power whatsoever." The turian taunted as he tried to dribble past his opponent and score on a basket nearby, but the human was fast and got the ball out of him.

"Not just skilled Mindus but badass too eh?"

The turian was about to reply when a shout was heard.

"YOU FILTHY LITTLE SHIT!"

The human and turian raised their eyebrows, or well a human eyebrow and a turian quizzical expression. Both went on their way towards where the shouting was coming from.

"Told you Rick was going to get probably tired of his girlfriend watching Harry Potter Ten, Voldemort's Return." The turian commented.

"Nah, it's not him." Luke replied as he stepped out of the offices. They heard grunts and laughing nearby, so they sped up their pace towards a little alley, close to the main C-Sec headquarters.

What they saw completely shocked them…

Jorax and fellow C-Sec officers, humans involved, were taunting an asari. She looked young and scared.

The duo approached silently and leaned against the wall, watching what was going on…

"Jorax, this bitch was operating in our district; maybe we should… punish her." A human said as he looked at the asari with a wicked grin.

The turian leader smirked. "Yes miss, you know we can charge you with vagrancy and prostitution. This will send you to jail but if you give us all a little… 'stress release.'" Jorax said, making his fellow subordinates laugh and nod to each other.

Mindus shook his head and whispered to Luke. "I've always hated Jorax, but this is getting off the line."

"I know, but if we report them, it would just be another file. They will not do shit to one of their stars." The former soldier replied.

The asari looked frightened. "Please, I won't do it again, I just need money for my friend; she is sick and needs treatment. Please…" She pleaded at them, almost to the point of crying.

One of the humans approached her and grabbed her cheek. "My dear, if you do that for us, we will pretend we never saw you… what do you say? You asari are good at that right?"

His comment made everyone laugh and nod once again.

Comments flooded the scene, much to the annoyance and dismay of Luke and Mindus.

"Hell yes."

"Goddamn right."

"Come on babe."

Jorax was just smiling. Finally he made a comment, to the surprise of everyone there.

"If you don't do this for us, we will get your blue ass in jail dear. So you have ten seconds to make a choice… either give us a great time or spend a while with those monsters at prison..."

Aura started coming out from Luke. His jaw was tight and his eyes viciously eyed up Jorax. Mindus knew what was coming up.

"Luke…. Don't even think about it." He whispered.

The former N7 marine looked at him and said, "either you are with me or you can walk out of here, don't want trouble coming to you."

The turian smiled. "Time to get those boxing lessons you gave me to action…"

Both nodded and approached the group.

The asari was still thinking of what to do. Her biotics were futile against them. First, damping equipment, second, too many of them and third, assault on a C-Sec officer would mean the end of her Matron years…

When she was about to speak, she heard a shout, her face turning to where that came from.

"HEY!"

The group turned and saw a human, heavily armored in C-Sec uniform and a turian, whose eyes were incredibly filled with fire. These two were pissed.

Jorax sighed in annoyance and approached them. "We are having fun here, so if you excuse us…" He dismissed with his talon and began to approach the asari. Once again, a shout stopped him.

"The hell are you doing!" Mindus yelled.

"This is not your business human lover." Jorax said as he made a gesture for his men to fall in behind. "We outnumber you, so don't try anything misfits."

"You must be out of your mind Jorax! What the hell are you doing?" Luke said angrily as he glanced at the asari, fear and shock on her face.

"Just having fun you party pooper." A human commented.

Jorax nodded. "Yeah we are having fun, so beat it."

"Yeah beat it, its five against two."

Luke smiled and shook his head. "Sounds like you guys failed at math…"

The group of officers took glances at each other, confused.

"I only count three!" Luke said as blue aura spread from his body. Two humans were in the air by the time he finished his sentence and were violently crashed against the wall.

One of the fortunate ones that wasn't hit by the attack quickly took a swipe forward towards Luke, but Mindus stopped it with his hand and launched a ferocious hook to the chest of him.

"Wrong choice dude." He said as the human screamed in pain while landing on the floor, holding his stomach.

Jorax and the other remaining human grunted and went forward towards Luke.

Mindus immediately pushed the human and kicked him in the groin while grabbing his head and crashing it towards his knee.

The human was about before Jorax had time to react, so he punched Mindus and sent him towards the wall and tried to keep punishing him when a powerful hand took his shoulder.

"It's with me." Luke said in a low voice as he pushed the turian backwards, almost hitting the asari in the process.

Jorax took a glance and noticed all of his men were out. They were completely knocked out and he was the only standing against an angry biotic and a pissed off turian.

When he was about to run away, Luke head butted him, sending the turian officer to the floor. He then shot a glance at Luke, who was making sure Mindus was alright. The human then turned and said, "Get up asshole."

Enraged, Jorax got up and launched powerful punches towards the human, who blocked them all in an orthodox stance, both arms protecting his sides and head. Luke then proceeded to punch him with a direct hook to the face, sending the turian backwards.

"Now you will see why they call me the Spanish Tornado." The human said as he began to launch terrible punches to the body and head of the already wounded turian.

Jorax was ineffective in close combat that much was obvious. Luke was able to obliterate his defense and punch his sides and head, one of his ribs cracking. The turian screamed in pain as Luke continued to punish him with a tirade of punches. By the time Luke stopped, Jorax was completely knocked out, one of his mandibles broken in the process.

"And that is why I was the undisputed champion of boxing in the N7 Academy." Luke cockily said as Jorax and his goons were all completely knocked out on the floor.

The asari had become nervous and frightened at the fighting power the unusual turian and powerfully biotic human showed against five men. Their hand to hand skills were off the charts. The remaining three men never stood a chance…

She got up and eyed her saviors with a smile. "Thank you; I don't know how I can…"

Luke and Mindus approached her, with the human putting his finger on her lips. "Shhh it was nothing. You can know get out, just try not to… break the law again."

Mindus laughed and sang a song that filled Luke's ears with excitement and amusement. "_Breaking the law, breaking the law, breaking the law!"_

Jorax awoke and heard them cheering. He noticed his men were still knocked out. He was pissed but knew another altercation with that blasted human and unworthy turian would end up in something horrible for him.

'_I will have my revenge assholes'_

* * *

*END OF FLASHBACK*

Vic was impressed with the story. Not out of Jorax but Luke and his sidekick, that turian, Mindus.

Finally, he learned their names and he was going to search entire databases and rumor sites about them. They had to be famous…

"So, that is the story." The turian grunted and coughed blue blood, much to Vic's annoyance.

"I see. Can you tell me the name of that quarian companion of theirs?"

The turian looked at him and shook his head. "Just got Lia, that's it. I don't know the rest of her name, I didn't give at that time and do not give a shit right now."

Vic nodded as he called in his men. "Come back for this filthy shit, got what I wanted."

Three men stepped into the room immediately, two humans and a drell. Both humans nodded and proceeded to take Jorax from the floor.

"What do we do with him?" They asked Vic with quizzical looks on their faces.

"Torture him, get all the information you can get."

The turian hissed in pain and at the realization that he was going to die screaming, something not to be proud of or looking forward to.

The drell stood at his position, hands behind his back, awaiting instructions.

"Rodriguez, please find out what you can about these two." He then proceeded to throw the drell a datapad.

"Consider it done sir." The drell answered as he bowed his head, saluted and left, leaving Vic to his own thoughts...

* * *

Shepard had been sitting on his couch, looking at several datapads about his new recruits. Tali had been helping gather information, and she did it, hacking and outsmarting websites and the like in the extranet.

"Alright, I got it all." Tali said as she got up from her terminal, right below Shepard's main room area and climbed the stairs to take them to him.

"Let us see…" Shepard then proceeded to take them and study each bit of information, everything about these two… Kolyat had already been studied thanks to Thane and his plead of help to Shepard just before the Omega Four Relay Offensive.

First, he took Mindus' dossier.

"Mindus Vactus, son of General Aulus Vactus, who fought batarian pirates and slavers in Hoc and other Citadel Space Systems. Nice…"

"What else?" Tali asked, waiting for the flood of information to come from Shepard's mouth.

"Boot camp, excellent marksman but lack of discipline with superior officers and cocky smartass, sounds our best buddy huh?"

Tali laughed and shook her head. "Don't know who you are talking about…."

Shepard just smirked and continued. "Drunk, shows up late to work, smoker and fan of soccer. He likes boxing too. Liara is good at this; I will give her that…" He paused as he looked at another paragraph and laughed. "Good detective though. He and Luke have been solving crimes and protecting people from corruption and violence, paragon…"

Tali tilted her head and asked, "Paragon?"

"It is a term for good people." Shepard answered

The Spectre then cleared his throat and continued. "Targeted for Turian Special Forces too, damn this guy is good. Nice addition." He then tossed the datapad aside and got the new one, which was of Luke…

"Lucio de la Vega, former N7 Commando and Alliance Marine, extremely powerful biotic, one of the best operatives and highly rated boxer so good hand to hand combat skills. Hero of Truba, butcher of pirates and enslavers."

"Family?" Tali asked.

"Father is Rafael de la Vega, great businessman and staunch feminist. Widowed, wife died in an accident on Illium, she was an architect…"

Tali shook her head. "Sad that he lost his mother… no brothers or sisters?"

"No, just the father, only family left for him."

Shepard then proceeded to some good info about him, to cheer up the mood. "Here it says he studied about quarians and other races at the academy. He tends to listen to old human music and paired up with Mindus the minute he stepped into C-Sec."

"Good with assault rifles, shotguns and snipers… pretty complete fighter. Here it says…" Shepards eyes then went wide and he laughed hard.

"Look at this!" Shepard passed the datapad to Tali, who then began scanning it.

"A name will sound familiar.."

Tali proceeded to take a look at the info Shepard pointed out…

_Lucio "Spanish Tornado" De la Vega_

_Alliance Military Professional Boxing Record: 11 Wins (11 Knockouts) 0 Losses, 0 Draws. _

_Result Opponent Type of Win. Place._

_Win Aliva Kardec TKO 7(0:46) Arcturus Station._

_Win Marius Dolemski KO 1(2:45) Arcturus Station._

_Win Lithier Karmiex TKO 5(1:22) Arcturus Station._

_Win Michael Aissati KO 4(2:01) Elysium._

_Win Ismael Delacroix RTD 5(1:33) SSV Rome._

_Win Kai Leng TKO 5(2:26) SSV Washington._

_Win John Barrera KO 2(2:01) SSV Kilimanjaro._

_Win Yuri Morimoto TKO 4(1:01) SSV Kilimanjaro._

_Win Robert Johnson KO 6(2:55) Cuervo, Alliance System._

_Win Brian O'Higgins KO 2(2:15) Shanxi, Alliance System._

_Win Ricardo de Asis KO 1(0:56) Maramba, Brazil._

_Nicknames:_

_Spanish Tornado_

_El Matador _

_Spanish Executioner_

_Boxing Style: Orthodox, combination, power punching and counter puncher. Biotic puncher and intelligent hand to hand combat specialist. _

_Lucio de la Vega was suspended for three months from boxing after severely injuring Kai Leng during a boxing match. Kai got both eyes severely shut and several low blows throughout the brawl. While these blows were legal, some of them went to the kidneys, which is against the rules of the Alliance Boxing Federation. After N7 Academy undergraduate Leng was rushed to the hospital, de la Vega was arrested and suspended from boxing by a military tribunal. It did not last as turian amateur champion Lithier Karmiex was approached to fight against Lucio at Arcturus Station to further improve relations between the Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy. _

_After the suspension, de la Vega –_

"Kai Leng?"

"Indeed famous for killing a krogan with a knife. I don't want to brag but I have done better than that, killing a krogan with an omni blade is hard business."

Tali smirked and smelled his scent, as she was naked…

"That is why I chose you, my brave knight…"

"I love you." Shepard said with a smile.

"I love you too." She replied as the two began to make out, datapad forgotten in the process.

* * *

So yeah, hard chapter took a long time to do it. Yes I am sorry for vanishing and coming all of a sudden. Hahahaha, hunting, looking for new girls and applying for classes is hard biz.

If you have questions about the boxing terms, here is a glossary:

TKO = Technical knockout, where the ref stops the fight due to one of the fighters getting too much punishment.

KO = Yeah, knocked the hell out.

RTD = Profuse bleeding stops the fight, or a trainer of one of the boxers throws the towel, which means end of the show and victory for the other fighter.

Kai Leng seems to be like a good fighter but not all badass like Shepard. He seems like a hot head on the comics and stories so yeah, he may do stupid mistakes. Luke met him, as I feel they are of the same generation or Luke a little younger.

Next chapter will be "Of Fools and Alcohol"

Heh, you get me.


	16. Chapter 16

**Okay sorry for taking too long but I am currently on vacations!**

**Well, I own none of the songs used in this fic and Mass Effect characters except Luke and Mindus! Hell yeah!**

**Thanks for the reviews, and because of how patient you guys have been, here you go, a long chapter. Hope you enjoy! (I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written)**

**Thanks y'all!**

**Please enjoy and R&R!**

* * *

Chapter 16: Of Fools and Alcohol

Luke and his 'Bad Company' as he called them, were at the armory, fixing and upgrading weapons with Jacob Taylor. For the group, he was a nice guy; he was honest and hard working. Though from what they heard from some crewmates, he was close to be in a relationship with Kasumi, which made Mindus a little "strange."

"Dude, pass up the Predator." Luke told Kolyat, who was messing with it.

"Calm down Tornado, or else you are going to kill one of us." Kolyat replied with a smile as he handed the pistol to Luke.

In truth, they had been a little… hyper. Luke and Mindus were craving for a smoke, while Kolyat was getting 'used' to drink. In short, they were craving for a party, one of those of epic proportions were they had been just a couple of weeks earlier.

"Luke my man… you still have some cigs right?" Mindus asked as he cleaned up a Revenant Rifle.

The human shook his head as he handed the Predator pistol to Jacob. "No man, I am out."

The turian eyed him up and then got his omni tool for a scan. He had kept it from C-Sec. He knew it was going to be handy later in a situation… This was certainly one of those situations...

He scanned Luke from head to toe and smiled.

"You damn liar, you do have cigs, hand them over."

Luke frowned as he got to look at the scanner. "Shit, what the hell are you up to Mindus?"

The turian smirked. "Oh you know me, I always have a plan."

Jacob had been suppressing his laughter quite a few times by now. Mindus calling Luke 'Skywalker' and Luke calling Kolyat 'Mr. Frog.' The young drell had just been silent, laughing at their jokes.

"Alright Mindus, before you tell us about your stupid plans, that always fail by the way, I am going to check up on Lia."

Mindus and Kolyat made a 'woooo' sound that made Luke snap each in the head with his palm, earning an "ugh."

"Shut up, I am checking up on her." He grinned as he walked past his friends and got out of the armory.

Kolyat then looked at Mindus. "So… what was this plan of yours?"

"Come, our break is up; let us go to the bathroom and plan this."

Kolyat blinked. "Mindus if you just turned gay I understand but don't pull me in..."

"No you dumb frog, we have to plan somewhere no one hears us!"

With that, both men left the armory, bathroom being the objective for the strange plan Mindus had. Jacob started laughing after the duo of strange aliens left.

"EDI go easy on them okay?" He said while trying to contain his laughter.

The blue orb appeared, and her voice sounded amused. "Very well Mr. Taylor."

* * *

Luke had passed through many people, humans to be exact. They were going on their business, and, although the ship was not that big, it still housed a fair amount of people. It was a warship, and Shepard was in charge so what the hell?

Deck Three was pleasant. There, Garrus, Thane, Kasumi, Samara and none other than Miranda Lawson went by their business. The former commando was in the elevator, waiting for it to finally get to deck four.

'_This elevator is a joke, I can imagine if we are under attack. One complaint for Shepard…'_

Finally, the painfully slow elevator stopped and the door opened, letting Luke go wander the Engineering deck, just to the right of where he was.

The door opened silently, and he saw two engineers, humans, working on their stations. Finally, he saw two quarians, working on a terminal. He grinned as he walked up to them, but stopped midway and smiled.

Lia was busy working on some cables and holding a datapad, everything on it was gibberish to Luke, but he was smiling at the sight.

'_Oh…. yeah…'_

Lia was leaning down, getting some tools, so her butt was showing all of its might. Luke grinned and kept looking at it, lost in his daydreaming. _'Holy shit….'_

Ken smiled and shook his head, amused at the sight. Gabby shook her head too and leaned close to Ken.

"Men… always acting like animals." She whispered at Ken as he laughed softly.

"Love it when you talk dirty." He replied as he pinched her butt, making her blush and take an instant punch at him.

"Men." She said playfully, earning another soft laugh from the Scottish engineer.

Luke heard them and shrugged. He was busier with that ass…

'_Mindus was right… dem hips and dat ass…'_

He suddenly felt someone behind him, but he just continued enjoying the show…

"Good sights eh?" A synthesized voice spoke to him.

"Yeah… I mean look at-" He stopped speaking as he turned and saw Tali behind him, hands folded in front of her chest and looking like a predator. In other words, she looked pissed.

Luke turned and saw Lia continue fixing cables and what not, clearly unaware of him and Tali having a showdown. _'Everything happens to me…'_

"Come with me." She said in a commanding voice and pointed at the drive core with her hand. Luke nodded and nervously followed.

As the two got to the end of the hallway, where Lia's audio enhancements could not pick what they were saying, Tali began speaking.

"So… you were watching Lia?" She asked in a mockingly serious tone. She was pretty amused by the human. _'He is really bad at hiding it…'_

Luke gulped and blushed, his eyes staring at the floor. "Don't know what you are talking about ma'am."

"Really? Then why were your eyes so pleased when looking at her back?"

"Ummm…. Well, I was looking at… the tools! Yeah, Craftsman is still a great company eh? Serving engineers since the 20th century!" He said nervously. _'Goddamn it'_

Tali laughed softly and shook her head. "Ever since you got to this ship, it was clear you had a crush on her."

For Luke, the floor seemed so fascinating at the moment….

"She never shuts up about you…" She said softly, earning a quick look from the human soldier.

"Really?"

"Oh, so you are interested in her?"

Luke blushed hard and continued to stare at the floor. "Erm, maybe."

Tali smiled and said, "Well, she obviously likes you, that is all I can tell you. However, take your time, don't rush, she's not going anywhere."

"That is what I am afraid of, what if she finds a Pilgrimage gift? She will leave…" He said, trailing off as he got saddened by that sentence.

"Don't give up, that's all that matters."

"Ma'am, may I ask you a question?"

"Of course, and please call me Tali, I don't want you going all Kal'Reegar on me."

"Huh?"

"Never mind, just tell me what is on your mind."

"How did you fall for a human?… Shepard to be exact."

Tali smiled beneath her helmet. "What is your point?"

"My point is… would she be interested in a human… me?"

Tali shook her head. "You have no idea how we behave, don't you?"

He shook his head. "In situations like this, no I don't have a clue."

"Well, we quarian females are attracted to strong males mostly. You are a strong biotic, brave from what I've heard from Shepard and company, so I see her appeal…"

Luke blushed and smiled. "Well, I read that quarians bond when they start 'liking' someone. Is that true?"

"Yes it is. I bonded to Shepard just after he came back from the dead." She said with a hint of happiness.

Luke nodded. "Can we humans feel that?"

"Aren't you as curious as a certain human I know?" Tali smiled and continued. "Humans have a lot of emotions, just like most races, and when they fall in love and such, is like bonding. When they lose their mate, they can become crazy and solitary…"

A frown appeared on Luke's face. "Just like my father…"

The quarian tilted her head to the side and appeared to be confused.

Luke laughed softly and began. "When my mother died, my father became a… a robot I guess. He just.." The human trailed off and his eyes saddened. "He was not the same anymore, he became emotionless, and we hardly talked. He 'tries'" Luke made quotations with his hands. "To love me and such, according to him but, well, he doesn't, at least not anymore."

"And that is why when we bond we have to take that risk." She concluded.

Luke nodded but did not say anything. For a little while, there was an awkward silence when Tali finally broke it.

"So, who is your father?" She asked, trying to hide the fact that she and Shepard had done some research on them, along with the good Shadow Broker adding some stuff there.

"Rafael de la Vega, businessman, he's the owner of several restaurants and shops around Alliance Space."

"Oh I think I know who you are talking about now."

"Yeah well, you will be shocked, but his right hand and chief of security is a quarian."

Tali was indeed shocked. "A quarian?"

"Yep, Lodis'Yifer Vas Nedas."

"Exiled… I never met him." She said softly.

"He was not exiled, her mother was and she still lives. She works for my father as a engineering technician. She's pretty good."

"Oh so you are interested in her too?" Tali teased.

Luke's eyes widened. "Oh hell no, she's old… and she is a friend."

Tali looked at her omni tool and gasped. "Oh I have to meet up with Miss Lawson in an hour, so think of what I've said okay?"

"Will do." He simply replied.

She made her way out but stopped and turned around. "If you do something stupid or hurt her, you will hear from me Luke." She growled and left.

The human just stayed there, stuck to the floor. _'Cute my ass, she is a beast!'_

* * *

"Mindus, come on, why here?" The drell asked as he stood by one of the urinals.

"Well, they can't hear us here! Obvious you dumbass! Duh!"

"Oh by Arashu, it is clear your brain has been damaged by all the alcohol you drink every single day."

The turian growled. "What are you trying to say?"

"What I am trying to say is that, if they have bugs to listen to people all over, what makes you think they don't have 'em here?" Kolyat replied with frustration.

Mindus rolled his eyes, something he got from Luke. "Oh by the spirits, shut up and listen to this." He then opened his omni tool and said, "I've made some research on these freaks, and a lot of them like parties you know? I always smell smoke from Zaeed's room, so he is a heavy smoker like us."

Kolyat narrowed his eyes. "You mean like you and Luke."

Mindus rolled his eyes again and sighed. "Whatever, so he is a party man, so is the crazy little bitch downstairs, who smokes too apparently. Kasumi…." He trailed off and his eyes seemed lost.

The drell frowned and shook his head. "Hey Mr. Fix it? Wake up!"

The turian coughed and shook his head. "Oh yeah, she has a lot of bottles in her room. I heard from Garrus that she has a bar in there, so we can actually get wasted right there!"

Kolyat smiled. "Well, looks like you have a brain after all, but isn't Shepard going to tell us something?"

"Nah, he's leaving on a secret mission or something like that. I heard this from Kasumi herself… that girl is good with gossip!"

"Okay okay, then what?"

"Simple, we steal-"

Kolyat cut him off. "Wait, what do you mean we? You getting us in your crazy antics again?"

"Shut up!" Mindus growled and slapped him in the head.

Kolyat sighed in frustration, second time in the day. "Fine, tell me."

"Okay listen up frog, we go and steal cigs from Jack and Zaeed, then go to the room and peacefully drink ourselves out!"

Kolyat smiled sarcastically and said, "Oh yeah, we drink there awesomely, but how in hell will we convince Kasumi?"

Mindus stopped smirking and looked at the ceiling… _'How can I convince her? It is her room after all…'_

"We will just go and tell her."

Kolyat blinked. "What, are you crazy! She will say no!"

"Not after I tell her to celebrate after a suicide mission and the boring feeling here on the ship, they haven't done shit every since they came out of the relay."

The drell sighed. "Fine, but how are we going to steal the cigs?"

"Oh don't worry…. Operation Epic Party starts now."

Kolyat sighed. "You better not screw this up loonie."

* * *

Luke had finished talking with the Chief Engineer and proceeded to get near his "crush."

"Hey Lia!" _'Shit, I just remembered I never took her to that dance!'_

The quarian gasped lightly, turned around and saw the human in standard uniform, standing there like a puppy with a big smile and shiny happy eyes.

'_Oh he looks so handsome' _Lia thought as she eyed him up and down discretely.

"Hey Luke, how are you doing?" She asked softly.

"Oh I am good, question is how are YOU doing? Because you got quite a big shock from Mr. Roboto upstairs." He pointed with his hand at the ceiling.

Lia laughed nervously. "Oh, well I will have to get used to it…. I am still afraid of it."

"Don't worry, he gets closed, I will turn him into junk and sell its parts. I need money for a six pack anyway…" He said jokingly.

The quarian female laughed softly and smiled. "You are a really bad influence to me."

"Oh yeah, how so eh?" It was clear he was flirting with her now.

Against all odds, Lia flirted back. "Oh, well you know, drinking, pistols, bad boy friends… well the list just goes on and on…"

Luke smiled warmly and smoothly asked, "Well, I am sure you love to be in dangerous situations with us huh?"

The quarian blushed. "Maybe."

The two stare at each other for a couple of minutes. The other two human engineers looked at the sight. Gabby giggled silently while Ken grinned. "That's my boy." He said proudly. _'Just like Shepard, this Engineering section is good for hooking up with quarians hehe'_

Finally, Luke clears his throat. "So Lia, I was thinking…. would you like to dance with me tonight?"

Taken aback and caught off guard, she blushed, "Eh… sure Luke... but where are we going to dance?"

"No worries, I got my bro taking care of that right now." He said with confidence.

* * *

"NO! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I WOULD LET YOU GUYS DRINK HERE?" Kasumi's voice echoed in the room as she shouted at the duo of drunkards.

"Oh come on, you have a bar here for a reason!" Mindus argued.

"Yeah, it should give us the right to do something here…. after all, Shepard is out." Kolyat joined in.

"I don't care if you want to drink and party! If you want to do that, go somewhere else!" The petite Japanese thief fiercely defended her place.

'_Damn, when she's mad she gets… kinda sexy….Wait what?_ ' The turian was shocked at his own thoughts.

"Think about it this way Kasumi… we need to raise the morale here, you guys have been pretty much bored since the Omega Four Relay Offensive. I understand your reluctance to lend us your room, but think not for us, but for the whole crew." Mindus' passionate speech was enough to get the woman's attention.

Seeing that she was thinking, Mindus quickly added, "Of course, you are invited!"

Kolyat elbowed him and whispered, "Shut up man, your speech is enough."

Kasumi, one of the greatest thieves in history, grinned and asked, "And who will provide the booze?"

"You honey, you have the merchandise here, but I will try to convince Scarface and Lesbo downstairs, then Mr. No Face next door. They will provide much more booze…. and cigs." Mindus grinned. He knew he had her.

Kasumi nodded somberly. "Alright, but I am doing this for the crew, not you guys!" She pointed a finger at the turian and then the drell. "Now go away, I need to prepare myself for tonight."

Both men nodded and exited the room. Mindus laughed softly while Kolyat shook his head grinning.

"You should have been a politician." Kolyat teased.

"If I was a politician…. the Citadel would be a big Amsterdam right now." Mindus teased back.

The drell tilted his head in confusion. "What is Amsterdam?"

Mindus grinned and patted him in the shoulder. "The human capital of sex and booze buddy."

Both shared a good laugh and went downstairs.

* * *

Luke and Lia felt incredibly awkward at the moment. The human was grabbing his neck and looking at the floor. The quarian was doing the same.

"So…." Luke broke the silence. "How are the… engines?" _'Real smooth dude… dumb ass...'_

Lia looked at him and said, "They are good."

Both nodded.

'_This is freaking awkward'_

'_Keelah, what should I ask him about?'_

"THE FUCK ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?" A shout was heard that was so loud it startled them both. Luke turned and saw the other engineers discreetly talking to each other. _'Are those guys deft or what?'_

"What was that?" Lia asked.

"I don't know, but it looked it was the chick downstairs…"

* * *

"Look Jack, we are here in peace, do you want us to carry a white flag?" Kolyat asked softly while Mindus nervously shifted where he stood…. very close to the stairs. _'Gotta be prepared to GTFO.'_

"What do you dipshits want?" The small, fiery woman asked.

"Eh… ummmm… we wanted to ask if you wanted to come up… later on to Kasumi's room?" Kolyat asked while eyeing up Mindus and shaking his head. _'Coward.'_

Jack grinned and walked up to them, which alarmed the duo.

"Calm down chickens, I am going to retrieve my supplies." She said fiercely.

Mindus elbowed Kolyat and whispered to his ear. "Dude, what if she wants to rape us?"

"The hell are you talking about?"

"Maybe she's gay… you know… she dresses like a guy…"

Kolyat shook his head. "Keep your mouth shut, I will handle this."

Jack returned and saw them talking to each other. "Hey pussies, you all soft on each other? Never thought I would see a drell on a turian.. and both males." She teased at them.

Both frowned and shook their heads.

"Ha ha ha, alright losers, I will go to your party, I have some booze and six packs of cigs. That good enough?"

Holy dang, was she being nice to them? Of course, they knew she was a wolf, solitary. Mindus still thought that she would try to rape them.

"Oh… ummm of course, so if you could please give me the supplies I will take them upstairs."

Jack took a step forward and pointed a finger at them. "If you guys finish this before the party, I will personally draw a new hole on your asses! Are we clear?" She asked, grinning.

Both men nodded nervously and left in a frenzy.

Finally, as they were upstairs, Mindus spoke, "Dang man, Scarface was easy but that bitch downstairs looked like she was going to rape us!"

Kolyat turned to watch him, as he carried the packs of cigarettes. "What's with you and rape?"

"I don't know man, but that girl seems lonely, and you know what girls like that do.." He said as he carried beer and other liquor with his talons.

Kolyat gulped. Both then decided to hurry and get to the elevator as if the devil was chasing after them.

* * *

It was late night… well 8:00 pm standard time. Kolyat had talked to his father and then Miranda about the party. Mindus did the same with Grunt and Samara. To everyone's surprise, they accepted and were chilling there with almost everyone… almost.

Luke had talked to Garrus, who took his booze and cigs for Mindus, and then Mordin was convinced... well he forced himself to be the bartender, preparing drinks and looking up for "possible alcoholic poisoning" as he had told Luke. Miranda was there too. She was talking in a friendly manner to Tali, Chakwas and Samara, all trading stories.

Zaeed, as expected, had his own circle of "fans," as Grunt, Ken, Hawthorne, Joker, Garrus and even Thane listened to his crazy stories and anecdotes. Truly, Scarface knew how to party and entertain people.

Someone was missing though.

"Hey Mindus!" Kolyat shouted as the music was a little loud. "Where is Jacob?"

"Jacob? Oh, the black dude?" Mindus wondered.

"Yeah, where is he? Everyone is here chilling!"

"I don't know." The turian simply replied as he continued to talk to Kasumi, who was a little…. drunk.

Kolyat shrugged and continued to talk to Garrus.

Meanwhile, Luke and Lia were sharing a good moment…

"So Lia, when was the last time you got drunk?"

"I've never been drunk in my life." She replied playfully.

"Oh that is sad!" He said with a grin.

She put her hands on her hips and took a step closer. "Why? Because I don't drink and party every single day like you and those two crazy trouble makers you call friends do?" She asked in a really cute tone.

Luke laughed out loud and shook his head. "Sometimes, you have to live your life to the fullest in order to fully appreciate it."

That silenced Lia. She began to think of all the things she found out of her crush. _'Hero of Truba, mother dead, cold father, only two friends… poor soul'_

"HEY PEOPLE!" Someone shouted.

Everyone turned to the door and saw a small woman standing with her hands on her hips.

"So you fuckers did not wait for the soul of this party?" She asked with a smirk on her face.

"Crazy bitch, shut up and join us." Zaeed said loudly, causing everyone to laugh out loud.

"Fuck you Scarface." She grinned and went up to him, playfully slapping him and mysteriously taking glances at Kolyat, who did not notice as his father kept him distracted with their chat.

* * *

"I don't know why everyone thinks I am the cutest little girl ever! It's like 'I am all rainbows and butterflies'!" An angry and somewhat drunk Tali rambled. Samara, Chakwas and Miranda chuckled.

The powerful asari justicar did not drink, as it was forbidden on her code, but Miranda had a few, and she looked somewhat goofy.

"Yeah, I always thought of you as a little sister!" Miranda giggled and smiled.

Tali stared at her and then burst out laughing. "Oh Kelaah Miranda, you are such a different woman when you drink!"

Kelly approached and said, "This is a really good party! I will surely give my thanks to Shepard for getting those three in our ship! They know how to make good parties."

The group of women chuckled and nodded.

The party had been going pretty well. Mindus, Luke, Kasumi and Lia had made a group, talking and laughing while both men were holding one hand on their cigarettes and the other one used to tease or point at someone.

Mindus was already passed drunk. Luke was buzzed but he was still in one piece.

"Yo! Luke! I love you man…" Mindus exclaimed as he put an arm on his best friend's shoulders and smiled.

"Okay man but don't love me too much." Luke said while he laughed and the other two girls giggled.

"You are such an ass. Still love you though." Mindus said as he moved his arm away from his human friend.

Kasumi giggled again and smiled. "Did not know turians could be gay while drunk…" She teased.

Mindus' eyes widened. "Damn woman, never thought you could be so fiery."

The Japanese thief blushed.

"Alright peeps, sorry but I need to share a dance with someone…" Luke said as he held a hand for Lia, who blushed and gulped. _'Come on girl! Show him!'_

She took his hand and then both started dancing slowly to a very sweet, old song…

_Hey Jude, don't make it bad  
Take a sad song and make it better  
Remember to let her into your heart  
Then you can start to make it better_

_Hey Jude, don't be afraid_  
_You were made to go out and get her_  
_The minute you let her under your skin_  
_Then you begin to make it better_

Some whistles and wolf howls were heard as the couple danced in front of everyone. Lia was blushing but Luke's arms prevented her from escaping his grasp. He was hugging her like a bear, and they were dancing to a very sweet song.

Ken and Gabby started dancing too, much to Hawthorne's surprise…. and displeasure.

"Hawie, you owe me some creds man." Garrus told him as he held his hand.

Zaeed approached. "Yeah, you owe me some too mate."

Hawthorne growled and gave both men their respective five hundred creds. _'Damn you Ken, I thought you were just her best friend!'_

Jack surprisingly took Kolyat's hand and forced him to the dance floor.

"Don't be scared pussy, not doing anything to hurt you." She said as he took his hands and proceeded to put one of them on her hip while the other was grabbing her hand up in the air. _'Human dancing is... close.'_

The drell only blushed and nodded while his father smiled at him. '_Thank you Irikah for such a wonderful son' _The elder drell thought happily._  
_

Jack smiled wickedly, which made Kolyat even more nervous. _'Damn, she's quite scary.'_

_And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain  
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders  
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool  
By making his world a little colder  
Na na na, na na, na na na na_

_Hey Jude, don't let me down_  
_You have found her, now go and get her_  
_Remember to let her into your heart_  
_Then you can start to make it better_

Lia found out that she liked the music and had to ask Luke, "Hey, who sings this wonderful song?"

He grinned and whispered in her 'ear.' "The Beatles."

She nodded and continued dancing slowly with him, with her head on his chest and her other hand on his hip.

Luke sighed in happiness and just got lost in the moment. _'God I wanted to do this so bad…'_

Tali smirked at the couple. "It is obvious she's smelling his scent."

Samara nodded and softly said. "Yes, quarian females do that with strong, attractive males."

"They make such a cute couple." Doctor Chakwas added.

Kelly had to add, "Yeah, he is so handsome…"

Tali shot her a glare, as did Miranda. Chakwas just chuckled and shook her head.

"Sorry." She blushed.

The quarian rolled her eyes. _'She likes everyone…'_

They turned and saw Garrus dancing with Miranda. The group of women chuckled.

_So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin  
You're waiting for someone to perform with  
And don't you know that it's just you? Hey Jude, you'll do  
The movement you need is on your shoulder  
Na na na, na na, na na na na, yeah_

_Hey Jude, don't make it bad_  
_Take a sad song and make it better_  
_Remember to let her under your skin_  
_Then you begin to make it better_  
_Better, better, better, better, better, oh!_

_Na na na, na-na na na_  
_Na-na na na, hey Jude_  
_Na na na, na-na na na_  
_Na-na na na, hey Jude_

Mindus had his own song and began moving to the music player, accidentally bumping into Mordin.

"Sorry doc, I need to change this song, better mood."

Mordin smiled. "Of course, mood music required." He then proceeded to prepare more beverages for the rest of people that were literally lining up on his stool like angry shoppers.

The young turian smirked and began playing with the music player. _'Oh yeah, freaking sexy song. I am such a genius!'_

All couples were still on the "dance floor" waiting for the next song. The couches of Kasumi were moved to make better room for it. At least Grunt said he had "moved" them. They were literally thrown across the room, much to Kasumi's displeasure.

"Grunt! What in God's name are you doing?"

The bulky krogan muttered something, but he was too drunk to say anything coherent, and left shakily towards Zaeed's group.

Finally, some beats lightened up the mood.

_Push me  
And then just touch me  
Till I can get my satisfaction  
Satisfaction, satisfaction, satisfaction, satisfaction _

Luke smirked and began flowing with the music. He was trying really hard to impress Lia, that was certain.

The young quarian, seeing this as a challenge, began swaying her hips towards him. It was so sexy that it sent shockwaves through Luke's spine.

'_Shes freaking sexy! DAMNNNNNN'_

Lia was impressed by human music. _'They sure know how to make people closer...' _She then proceeded to eye up Luke's muscles. _'Like humans say, so hot.'  
_

Both continued to dance to the song, while the rest of the couples did the same.

_Push me  
And then just touch me  
Till I can get my satisfaction  
Satisfaction, satisfaction, satisfaction, satisfaction _

Kolyat had wide eyes as he watched the young, small and fiery woman called Jack sway her hips back and forth. He was having a hard time controlling his…. little friend.

Jack then shot him a look as she continued to dance. "Well frog boy, you dancing with me or not?"

The young drell shrugged and began to do the same moves she was doing. _'I must be drunk to be doing this with her…'_

_Push me  
And then just touch me  
Till I can get my satisfaction _

Miranda was being, of course, the hottest 'prospect' on the dance floor. She was doing exceptionally well, much to Garrus' pleasure.

"Damn XO, you are good." He complimented.

She laughed and stared at him while moving her hips. "Well, dance with me Archangel or else I will get someone else."

He growled and moved to the beats faster than she expected.

_Push me  
And then just touch me  
Till I can get my satisfaction _

"Erm… Kasumi?" Mindus asked softly.

"Yes?" She stared at him with a smile. She was standing alone in a little corner.

"Do you ummm… want to dance this song… with me?"

She grinned and took his hand. "Thought you would never ask Romeo."

He did not know who or what Romeo was, but felt happy as he took her to the dance floor and saw her moving her hips wildly.

Unexpectedly, his plates shifted. _'Oh spirits, why is it always me!'_

However, he got the courage and continued dancing close to her.

_Push me  
And then just touch me  
Till I can get my satisfaction  
Satisfaction, satisfaction, satisfaction, satisfaction, satisfaction _

Finally the song ended, and all couples exchanged chuckles and admiration for each other.

Jack approached Kolyat. "Not bad kid, you are good with old human music."

"I am not a kid, I am twenty three." He told her in defiance while crossing his arms. The effects of alcohol make you stand against tough, scary opponents, that much is true.

Surprised, Jack smiled, took his hand and made him go with her to Zaeed's group of fans.

Kasumi and Mindus sat in one of the couches that was actually thrown in a good position by Grunt.

"Ah dang! That was good!" Kasumi cheerfully said.

"Hell yes sister! Good for stress." The turian replied.

Kasumi just looked at him with a quizzical look and then smiled.

"For being a turian, you sure know how to pick human music... and dance."

Mindus smiled and pointed at someone in the mess. "Give your thanks to that human right there... and thanks, you dance pretty good too."

She blushed and smiled bashfully at him.

* * *

Luke and Lia were panting and totally tired.

"Geez girl, you don't seem to get tired." He said playfully.

"Oh well I don't get that filthy thing on my lungs!"

The human chuckled and took her hand. "Well, I most certainly would last a couple of more songs with you if need be…." He then stared at her eyes.

Lia could not help but stare back. She wanted to kiss him… so bad. _'Damn this suit!'_

Suddenly, Luke took her hand and kissed it. "It was my pleasure dancing with you Lia, you are amazing."

She blushed and gulped, "Ah… thanks… for the compl- ment."

Seeing her so nervous, he grinned and embraced her in a big hug. "Lia, I got to ask you something." He whispered.

"Yes?" Her heart was racing now at thousands of miles per hour. It was a miracle it was not bursting out of her body and suit. _'Please... ask... me.'_

"Would you be my girlfriend?" He said smoothly while looking at her eyes. _'I know I am not rushing. I want her to be mine, is that too much to ask?'_

She melted… You know that feeling when one of your dreams comes true and now it's totally at your grasp? Yes, this was what she was experiencing. Her heart skipped a beat. She gently took his hand and stare at his eyes. _'Oh Luke, my angel'_

"YES!" She loudly replied and pounced on him. Her hug was strong indeed as Luke was barely able to stay on his feet.

"Thank you lord." He said softly. She giggled.

Both embraced for a long time.

* * *

God, his head hurt. He woke up and found tons of people lying around.

Grunt was sleeping against the wall while Zaeed was doing the same except with a cigar on his right hand.

Joker was nowhere to be seen. Gabby and Ken were thrown, closely cuddled together, by the bar stool.

He guessed Kasumi was lying alongside him, as he heard a soft snore on his side. He quickly checked and saw her there. _'Damn, we did party a lot.'_

Mordin had his omni tool checking people, muttering "Fine," "Good," "Great."

Mindus groaned and touched his head. "I drank too much."

Kolyat was sleeping alongside… eh Jack? Damn, it was so hard to tell since she was bald.

Luke and Lia were nowhere to be seen. Tali, Garrus, Kelly, Samara, Chakwas and Miranda were also MIA.

Suddenly, EDI chimed in. "Attention everyone, Shepard is on deck."

"OH GODDAMN IT!"

* * *

**So, where the hell is Jacob? What will Shepard do? Where are the others after this amazing party?**

**Stay tuned and find out!**

**Don't forget, review and tell me what you think.**

**100 reviews! YES! Finally!**

**Thanks guys, would not have done this without you ;)**

**The songs used in this chapter are:**

**_Hey Jude by The Beatles_**

**_Satisfaction by Benny Bennassi_**

**And I do NOT own them!**

**No need for damn disclaimers…**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this and as always, a pleasure.**


	17. Chapter 17

Hello peeps! I am proudly giving you guys this short, somewhat funny chapter. It is full of surprises and things to come in later chapters.

I can honestly say that, in a few chapters, probably four, there will be a sex scene. So, if you want me to describe Lia's face, vote up!

Thanks to all the people that have reviewed, like faithful **JustAFerret**, who never misses any of my updates.

**StrikerXE**, for paying attention to close details I give in my story.

**Nuna Cola, ArchShadow24, Arkh Cthuul** (he is honest and he gives great critique, much appreciated man) =)

**Alexander**: Of course not my man, that is why I am taking slowly but surely. You will see. And thanks for reviewing, first I see your name (which is badass) in the reviews section.

**Goldenheartfan**: Thanks man! I really appreciate your support! And here is the update pal! Thanks for reviewing, first time I see you.

To all of you out there who have been keeping up with the story but have not reviewed or rarely do so, don't be shy, review, voice your concerns, good things, bad things, strange things, whatever you feel like doing.

Disclaimer: Mass Effect belongs to Bioware blah blah blah, but Luke and Mindus are MINE!

* * *

Chapter 17: Of Periods and Allergies

Shepard was dead tired. Destroying a system and blocking the Reapers from invading was hard business, not to mention killing over 300,000 people. He just wanted to get to his cabin, begin a "loving" session with Tali and get over it.

However, the ship was oddly quiet. Many workers looked to him and shook themselves. Hawthorne looked at the Commander, saluted and went back to his chores, a little too damn fast…

'_The hell is going on here?'_ He then went to the armory and saw Jacob taking a big nap in the floor. Confused, the Commander went up to him and shook the African American man to wake him up. Jacob's eyes opened and groaned, but then, as he saw Shepard's stern face, he got up and saluted, somewhat shakily.

"Commander!" He shouted as he stood straighter.

Shepard shook his head. "Jacob, what is going on here? The ship seems empty."

The former Cerberus operative shrugged. "I don't know what you are talking about sir, I just took a big sip from the beer Mindus offered me and then, next thing I know, I am waking up seeing your face."

Shepard shrugged and nodded. "Talking about that stooge, where is he?"

As soon as Shepard said that, the door opened and Mindus, Luke and Kolyat stepped in, looking anxious.

"Hey Commander! Kicked some batarian blink ass I presume?" Luke said with a big smile, a little too big for Shepard's taste.

"Guys…. what is going on here?"

Kolyat answered in a somewhat nervous tone. "Erm, well we were evaluating… the crew! Yes the crew. So we went to every single room and talked to them throughout the day."

Shepard smirked and playfully said. "It smells like party here…."

Mindus gulped. "Party you say? Oh you are so mistaken sir. We gladly went to Ka-" He did not finish as Luke stepped on his foot while keeping his smile.

"Don't pay attention to him, he is just dumb sir." Luke said.

Kolyat smiled. "Yeah you know Mindus."

Jacob's eyes narrowed at the turian. "Mindus, what in God's name did you put on my beer last night?"

The turian shrugged. "I just gave you a beer. I got from… eh… Garrus! Yes. The sniper."

Jacob's glare softened. "Oh so you have me a dextro beer? I probably got an allergic reaction but lucky me my system has some good defenses for that."

Mindus touched his neck with his right hand. "Yeah, I guess…"

Luke elbowed him and whispered. "We will talk about this retard."

Shepard had enough though. "Alright people, get to work and I know you guys made a huge party at Kasumi's place. Don't hide it." He smirked at the last sentence.

"How did you-" Luke asked.

"Guys, I can smell smoke, alcohol and…. Steam… and EDI notified me when I got into the ship." He laughed at the last word.

Jacob had this 'what the hell?' face while the three stooges were just standing like obedient dogs.

"Alright guys, next time invite me to your party or else there won't be anymore, got it?" Shepard tried to put up the best stern military face but his smile betrayed him.

"Oh… of course sir!" The three replied.

* * *

Tali'Zorah Vas Normandy, the most famous quarian in recent times, Shepard's girlfriend and the best engineer in the galaxy… now with a huge hangover, her soft side was completely overshadowed by her more mysterious bad side. Sure, the rainbows and butterflies attitude of Tali was nowhere to be seen at the moment…

"Do it right! It is this way Lia! Are you deaf?" She exclaimed with her hands doing weird turns in the air, something that made her fellow engineers eyes widen considerably.

"T-Tali, I'm sorry, I did not know the couplings were supposed to be put in a ninety degree angle." Lia said with a low voice, her head low in shame.

"Well now you know! Learn and do it!"

Donnelly and Gabby just stared at her, with a blank expression on their faces.

"What are you guys looking at? Work! That is what you are being paid for!"

Donnelly hesitated but then added. "Wrong chief, we are working for free now." He then winked at her.

Tali's anger boiled over. "QUIET!"

He gulped, nodded and went by his work on his own console, with Gabby muttering a 'jackass' in the background.

Lia's hands trembled at the unusual and highly shocking attitude of her boss, who was normally polite and very accessible. Now, it was not…

Then it hit her! _'Oh Keelah, it must be…'_

"Hey! How is my baby doing?" A voice came from their backs.

Lia turned and saw Commander Shepard with a smile on his face as he approached Tali. His hands then slowly made their way to her waist…. However, they were shaken off.

"Let me work! Don't you understand how important work in engineering is? Huh? Of course you don't. You are always hitting on other women in the ship, you forget about me and then you come and tell me that I am your baby?"

Shepard's eyes widened at her outburst. "Tali, what is going on? You know perfectly that I was on a mission from Hackett."

"NOTHING! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" She barked at him and went back to her terminal. Shepard then heard the words 'idiot' coming from her.

"Whoa… someone is bitchy." Shepard said as he turned to the door.

Tali shot him this glare that would make anyone melt in fear. "OUT!"

Shepard made his way out.

Lia shook her head. _'It is worse than I thought.'_

* * *

The mess hall was now full of people. Garrus, Jacob, Mindus, Luke, Kolyat, Thane and, surprisingly, Jack and Miranda. Samara had left earlier, saying she had some 'meditations' to do.

Miranda and Garrus were shooting glances at each other, while Jack often turned to watch Kolyat, who was busy talking to Jacob about some 'prize.'

"It is easy Kolyat, when a girl looks at you with full, happy eyes; you know clearly that she wants THE PRIZEEE."

Kolyat tilted his head. "Yeah I know but what is this prize you keep talking about?"

"Oh just the secret weapon that would make anyone fall to my arms…. And I plan to use it on a certain thief…" He added with a smirk on his face.

Mindus growled at that.

Luke was talking to Garrus about boxing.

"So you were a boxing prospect?" Garrus asked while shooting a glance from time to time towards the 'perfect woman.'

"Yeah I was a prospect back in the basics, but had to leave it after joining the N7 Marines."

"Oh I heard you beat the crap out of this Cerberus dog… Kao Lung?"

Luke chuckled. "Oh Kai Leng, yeah that guy is super easy to beat… if you are a patient hand to hand combat predator that is…. And I know you are Mr. Reach."

Garrus turned his head and his eyes widened a bit. "Who told you that?"

"A little bird." The former commando said with a smirk on his face.

"I am going to kill Kasumi." He said loudly, which made Mindus stare at him with narrowed eyes.

"So….. Mindus, when does our shift start again?"

The turian looked at his omni tool. "In about an hour, why?"

"Gotta go visit Lia." He said as he got up and made his way to the elevator.

Snickers were heard with a gurgling voice, presumably Mindus that said, "That's my bro."

As Luke disappeared in the back, Shepard came out through the other side, his face full of anger. Garrus saw him and smirked.

"You mad boss?"

"Shut up Garrus." Shepard said as he downed a full drink of tequila Gardner usually kept for birthdays and get togethers in the mess hall.

Everyone straightened at the Commander's outburst. Thane had his calm face while Mindus and Kolyat looked nervous. The rest looked anxious too, except for the ladies and Garrus.

Jack snickered. "Someone is bitchy."

At the irony of his own comment on Tali, Shepard could not help but laugh at Jack. Miranda raised an eyebrow while Garrus kept looking at him.

"Problems with the lady boss?" Garrus finally asked.

Shepard stared at him. "Yeah…. I don't know what is going on with her."

"Tell us then! Pretty sure this would be a great session for Kelly." Mindus added.

Kelly blushed.

* * *

The door hissed once again, which made Lia jump a bit but would not dare to see who or what had just entered the engineering deck.

Before she could do some anagrams on the next update of the engines, she felt warm arms taking over her waist. She knew who it was immediately as she relaxed her head on his shoulder and sighed lovingly.

"How is my favorite galactic princess doing?" He asked smoothly.

Lia blushed slightly but smiled nonetheless. "Good, and how is my favorite knight?"

"Oh I am really good, but Shepard isn't babe, he looked pretty upset."

That comment made Lia's memory replay the events that had happened less than fifteen minutes earlier. As she was about to warn Luke, the beast made her move.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed.

"Oh visiting my girl!" He playfully said.

Tali's eyes narrowed. "Oh so now that she is your girlfriend you will take advantage of her?"

"Excuse me?" He blinked at her comment.

"Men." She huffed and turned her back on him.

Luke then looked at Lia quizzically. "What is wrong with her?" He whispered.

She went up to his ear and whispered. "Come with me."

The young quarian then turned to her boss. "It is time for my break, I will be right back."

"Whatever." Came the reply from the pissed off quarian engineer.

The couple made it out of the room and went to the cargo hold, away from prying eyes and Tali's accurate ear suit enhancements.

Finally, they made it to a small area close to the Kodiak and the Hammerhead. This place was constantly overlooked by everyone, so Lia was able to calm down.

"Okay babe, what are we doing here?"

She could not help but smile at his pet names for her. "It's about Tali."

"What is wrong with her? She freaked me out with her outburst."

"I know, but it's not the case here. It is not her fault. She got drunk yesterday right?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah she got really wasted, why?"

Lia thought carefully and then got it. _'It's a Xie Kordeo'_

"Xie Kordeo." She replied.

"A what? Sorry, pitiful human who doesn't know or understand Khelish."

"A bad hangover like you humans say, but this is far worse. When we quarians drink a lot, we can suffer severe periods of moodiness and snapping."

"And is there a cure for this?"

She smiled. "We don't need one, she will get over it in a few hours but…" Her smile faded. "I will have to keep up with her tantrums."

Luke laughed out loud and turned to a close terminal. "EDI, you got this?"

"Yes Mr. De la Vega." She replied.

"Tell Shepard before he goes nuts, and call me Luke, I feel old when people call me like that."

"Of course Luke, logging you out."

Lia turned to him. "That AI still gives me the creeps."

She then felt warm hands around her. "Don't you worry; I will always be there to protect you from evil computers."

Both laughed and cuddled quietly by the Kodiak before they had to depart, with Luke heading to the mess once again.

* * *

Shepard had explained Tali's attitude to his crew and only got a puzzled, confused reception. Of course, there had to be a retarded comment, and coming from none other than one of the antic masters, Mindus freaking Vactus.

"Maybe she's on her period like you humans say."

Everyone burst out laughing, with Garrus nodding at him, muttering a "good job." Shepard could not help but chuckle at the comment. Kelly intervened though.

"Maybe she ingested something that made her act this way?"

"No one could be this evil and bitchy, safe for Jack of course." Garrus said, and promptly got a piece of a fry on his face, along with a "fuck you."

While they calmed down, EDI called Shepard out.

"Doctor Solus wants to see you Commander."

Now it was the turn for Garrus' antics. "Maybe he has new quarian porn for you boss."

Jacob laughed out loud. "Yeah, tell him to bring me some fornax on that quarian admiral, Xen, she's pretty damn hot."

"Really? There is quarian porn around? I only got viruses…." Mindus asked in disbelief.

Everyone turned to look at the young turian, who shrugged and said, "What? I was curious."

"Yeah, centuries old but there is." Came Garrus' reply, which made some people look at him too. "I was curious too!"

Mindus smirked. "Joker, since you are the porn master here, look it up for me and I will pass up some embarrassing videos from the party."

"Oh bring some for me too." Added Kolyat.

"You got yourself a deal Mindus." Joker said laughing.

The teasing was getting too far for Shepard. "Alright guys, knock it off."

"Really Shepard, didn't you hear that Admiral speak? Her voice and accent were really hot! She must get THE PRIZE!" Jacob said loudly.

"I thought you had a crush on Kasumi?" Mindus asked carefully.

Jacob smirked. "Well, the prize is never in a relationship unless he finds a lady deemed appropriate for it."

Groans and boos were heard around, which caused Jacob to say, "Aww come on peeps."

Mindus smirked. "Looks like the prize is not so pricey huh?"

Jacob groaned at that.

Shepard had enough. "Alright! Everyone shut it!" Even with Shepard's loud voice, the laughing still roared throughout the place. Even Gardner, at his post, was laughing so hard things were falling in his kitchen.

He looked at them, calmed down and said, "Ah well, back to work."

"Awww why boss? Quarians are hot!" Garrus teased.

Kolyat had to be in. "Yeah, they have amazing hips!"

That made Jack shoot him a glare, prompting Kolyat to shut his mouth and look at the floor. _'Even though she's scary, it is kinda cute when she gets territorial.' _At that, he smirked and looked at her with desire in his eyes. Jack blinked.

Surprisingly, Miranda had said nothing during the entire teasing operation. She would chuckle here and there but nothing more. Thane was his usual 'quiet assassin' self, nothing weird for people around the ship.

As things quieted down, Shepard excused himself and went to see the Professor, one of the greatest scientific minds in the galaxy. Maybe the greatest, no way to tell for sure with millions of salarians out there…

* * *

"So you are saying that quarians can suffer deep mood swings because of hangovers?"

Mordin nodded. "Precisely, Ms. Zorah suffering from acute mood swings due to alcohol consumption, should be fine in a few hours."

Shepard sighed in relief. "Thanks doc, those are great news but…. how come she began to accuse me of being with other women? Part of the mood swing? Or something else?"

"Possible, quarians may be able to voice their concerns through rage or long periods of alcohol ingestion, drunk in your terms. Like you humans say, truth comes out of alcohol."

The commander grinned. _'She is far more territorial than she looks.'_

"Oh Shepard, need to talk to you about something." Mordin said with a smile on his face, very rare for anyone to see.

"Yes doc?"

"Project X being a success as of now."

Shepard smiled. "Do you think it will be done on that specific day?"

"Possible, not sure yet but will let you know beforehand. Will need more time to ensure it will work accordingly." Mordin nodded to himself and began working on his terminal. "Thank you for coming. Talk to Ms. Zorah."

Shepard nodded and left the room.

* * *

"Okay so me and this dude right here..." The turian pointed at Luke, "were really wasted at a club right? While we were there, just enjoying a few drinks and looking for any hot women out there." Mindus began his tale as the others listened intently. "We see this hanar, you know big and squishy, all disgusting, saying something about the enkindlers or some bull. Me and Luke just stared at it and actually listened to its talk. He argued at how they gave the hanar technology and probably a manual on how to look stupid. We were probably the only ones listening to it anyway. However…"

He took a sip of his water and grinned. "Luke burped pretty loud, making everyone turn to see us and laugh really hard. The hanar said 'this one finds your manners of extreme disgust' or something like that. So Luke, against all odds, stands up from the table, really tipsy and says…" And Mindus stood up, imitating Luke's stance, which was that of a really drunk man, "Hey! When did you escape from my sushi box?"

Everyone burst out laughing, including Garrus. He knew what sushi was for humans, learned it from Kasumi herself in her antics around the Normandy.

"I got that from Donnelly downstairs!" Luke said, making everyone laugh even more.

"No wonder everyone at C-Sec called you the Bad Boys." Kolyat said, much to the amusement of the people around them.

"So Luke, tell me, how was your romantic life?" Kelly asked, making everyone roll their eyes.

Mindus had to get in though. "May I ask you a question Kelly?"

The red head smiled and nodded. "Of course!"

"You really want to get laid don't you?"

The whole table erupted into a roar of laughter of epic proportions. Garrus was holding his chest as he laughed really hard. Jacob fell on the floor while Miranda and Jack giggled, something that made some at the table stare at them but laugh nonetheless. Kelly blushed a deep crimson red.

"Ah…. This makes me want a cig right now…" Mindus said as he stared at Garrus.

"No way! You finished a whole pack yesterday by yourself!" Garrus angrily retorted to Mindus' suggestion.

"Oh come on man, we need a break after getting ourselves some teasing on Shepard!"

"Oh damn, I need to do my calibrations, so see you guys later." Garrus said as he got up and left to the main gun deck.

Mindus snorted. "He spends a lot of time in that room, he probably jacks off to the Thanix Cannon."

* * *

'_What have I done? I lured Shepard away in a mood attack! Oh Kelaah I will never drink ever again in my life. Maybe if I tell him I am sorry…'_

Suddenly, warm arms enveloped her body. Within a fraction of a second, she knew who was doing this, the guilty mischievous man enveloping her in a really intimate hug.

"Are you okay now babe?" A voice came from behind her, it made her spine tingle a bit.

"Y-yes." She was turned on by the Commander, after not having sex for about four days and something else that Mordin had not said.

She then turned to meet him and nuzzle his neck, trying to take his scent. "You look good Shepard."

"Thanks babe." He said as he smiled.

"I-I'm sorry Shepard, I… I was not properly thinking of what was coming out of my mouth." She hung her head low in shame.

Shepard lifted her head up by touching her 'chin' and said, "Hey, I love it when you get all territorial, it is really cute."

She could not help but giggle. "Thanks…. Eh… baby." She said in a thick accent.

"Damn your voice is sexy, you sure you are not a princess from an unknown kingdom?" He playfully asked.

Tali laughed and giggled loudly. "Maybe."

"Well Tali, what do you want to do now eh?"

The quarian girl gazed upon her fellow engineers. She saw Lia fixing some tubes and the other two human clowns were in their stations, working hard, probably still afraid of her outbursts. After convincing herself that no one was looking at her and the commander, she grabbed his member and said, "What do you think I want to do?"

Shepard gasped and his member began to grow. "Damn girl."

After that, they went to their cabin.

What Shepard did not know, and Mordin forgot to tell him was that quarians become much more "sexually connected" after a hangover. In short, guys or girls that have quarian romantic partners may well be eager to get them drunk and later on have some rough sex.

* * *

The Japanese thief was reading about the "Turian Samurai." Mindus had said that it was one of the best books he had ever read. It was really interesting to learn how the turians formed a militaristic society from such an early age. The "holy warriors," or turian samurai as humans call them, were then wiped out by the more powerful and numerous legions of the Hierarchy.

Before she could compare the Romans to the turians, she heard some strange noises coming from somewhere above in the ship.

"_Faster! Harder!"_

"_Damn girl!"_

"_Oh Keelah Oh…"_

Kasumi snickered when she heard loud moans from both Tali and Shepard. She had warned the quarian engineer that she was pretty loud, but it fell on deaf ears as Tali had called her a bosh'tet and a gossiper.

She felt like recording it but decided against it. Tali was her best friend, and she would never do that to her. However, that did not apply to make people hear it. She smirked and cloaked herself, presumably leaving to Mr. No Face's calibrations room.

* * *

"I'm telling you man, we are going to the Migrant Fleet for real!" Luke said as they enjoyed a few hours of the night before they had to go sleep in the crew quarters.

"Who cares? Freaking quarians don't have clubs or anything." Mindus said while groaning dramatically.

Kolyat smiled. "I wish they had a harem of quarian women you know? I would pay definitely enjoy some big hips around."

Luke snickered. "Hell yeah, but nah I don't need that, got myself a quarian with nice hips already."

Mindus and Kolyat groaned dramatically and then laughed at him.

"Yeah yeah but did you guys hear about the sexy admiral? I would like to see her!" Kolyat commented.

Mindus nodded. "Damn straight, Dr. Pricey said that she had a really sexy voice and a damn hot body."

The drell shook his head. "I get the feeling that you are now into quarians."

"Nah, I am just curious."

"Oh yeah, like the time you got a virus into the C-Sec database while you were watching human porn?"

The turian blinked. "I was working on a case."

"Oh come on Mindus, you thought Bailey would fall for the story of 'evil prostitutes in the lower decks' of the ward? And then when you told Rick you were investigating vampire hookers?" Kolyat said loudly.

"Yeah that and you told him you had uncovered some Fornax dealers." Luke added.

"Okay shut up! I get it."The turian exclaimed.

The drell and the human laughed out loud. Then, the elevator was heard and Lia was seen rushing into their direction.

"Luke! We can't go to the Migrant Fleet!" She said as she finally arrived and stood between Luke and the other two.

"Oh its okay Lia, is not that I will be bored because of zero alcohol around."

She shook her head. "Not that! I have no Pilgrimage gift! I can't go back empty handed!"

'_Shit…'_

Mindus jaw dropped while Kolyat's eyes widened. Luke frowned and grabbed his chin. "Damn it, there's gotta be something we can do guys."

"Like what? Steal something from the ship!" Mindus sarcastically said.

Luke's eyes lit up from the word steal and he gave Lia a hug. "I have an idea."

"What is it?" She asked while placing her arms at his side.

He put his hands on her hips and said. "Come on boys... and babe, time to pay the thief a nice visit."

* * *

Next chapter, we will see the Migrant Fleet in all its might, with Shepard meeting the Admiralty Board for some important business. Hope these three stooges dont ruin it lol.

I like Kelly, but damn she had to be teased here XD Its not that I hate her or anyting, I actually like her but she was a character that had to be teased.

Maybe there is a reason we have not seen a drunk quarian in the game people. Imagine an enraged quarian with an omni tool at the ready? Would feel sorry for you heh.


	18. Chapter 18

**StrikerXE: I think you do deserve the shout out, you have keeping up with the story, just like Ferret has, you guys are loyal! Same with you ArchShadow, don't think I forgot about ya.**

**NucaCola: Sorry but you still get the credit! :)**

**Jack RB: Thank you mate, hope you like this chapter!**

**GhostofOnyx: Glad to see you enjoying this story. Hope you like this chapter!  
**

**Hope you guys like this and of course, I don't own Mass Effect blah blah blah but Luke and Mindus are mine, so fuuuuuuuuu.**

**Thanks for letting me know that it was 2183 guys :)  
**

* * *

Chapter 18: Revelations and Arrival

"Alright peeps, we have to go see Kasumi and let her know of our little problem." Luke stated as they all walked towards the thief's room, close by the mess hall.

"Okay then…. we go and ask her about a gift for Lia?" Mindus asked.

"Of course, she must have a lot of goods stolen from all over the galaxy, this should be easy." Kolyat stated.

Lia did not say anything. She was really nervous about all of this. There were several times when a quarian did not return to the fleet. Either the individual got killed or was hired by a big company and settled somewhere far better than the failing Migrant Fleet. People did not say it, but everyone knew they were getting tired of having to live in a fleet of aging ships that could fail any second.

Of course, she was not like that. Not when her father was a respected marine and her mother a physician. If she was from another race, her parents would be rich and influential; well they were influential in the fleet, but nothing out of the ordinary. In addition, her last name, Vael, came from a line of great quarians that had been in the higher ranks of the military for generations.

The thing that worried her the most, though, was how to get back with Luke? She will turn her gift, get a ship and then she will never see him again. Strangely, Luke was unfazed by this, and he knew the quarian system very well. _'I wonder why he's so calm about this…'_

The door hissed and the group of four quickly entered. They saw everything in place, even better than before the party. It still smelled a little to smoke.

"It smells like smoke here, it clearly says Mindus was here." Luke teased.

Mindus grunted. "And you did not smoke right reactor?"

"Knock it off guys." Kolyat said loudly.

Luke went on to sit on the couch and pat with his hand right the other part of the couch next to him. Lia got it and sat there, her head eventually reaching his shoulder. Mindus and Kolyat awkwardly sat on the other couch, clearly silent for the show in front of them.

Finally, Kasumi appeared before them.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked softly. She had fairly attached into the group. She particularly liked to Mindus who, with his antics and sarcastic comments, made her laugh like no one else had since Keiji, months and months ago.

Kelly, oh Kelly. Kasumi did not have anything against her. Sure she was creepy and somewhat needy, but damn, Mindus destroyed her. _'When he said 'you want to get laid right?' I really lost it!'_

Indeed, she had been lurking in the shadows, looking at Jacob to be precise, but could not help stare at Mindus. He was funny, charming and a life spark on any party. That was what attracted Kasumi the most, he had a spark that Jacob…. sadly… did not.

She then felt a hand on her shoulder, interrupting her thoughts. She turned and saw Luke, with pleading green eyes looking intently into her brown ones.

"I must talk to you about something, in private okay?"

She nodded and went with him to a corner, much to the group's surprise.

While the former commando and the thief were away, seemingly close, Lia growled, much to the surprise of Mindus and Kolyat. It was soft, but they heard it. Mindus understood the growl immediately… she was being very territorial… Turians were like that too when mates were a little too close to one that was considered a rival. Typically, turians would engage in fights for mates. Humans and quarians were not strangers to that either.

The sound played on his head and it clearly stated 'mine.' Surely, turians and quarians were pretty dangerous in cases like that. Humans, however, were no exception. Mindus had seen many humans fight toe to toe with other aliens, asari and turians, for prospective mates. Lia did not look dangerous, but she could go primal if needed.

"Don't worry Lia, he is yours." The turian said with a smirk while looking at her. Kolyat laughed quietly.

The quarian blushed under mask and looked away, embarrassed by her behavior. _'What is wrong with me!'_

"It is to my understanding, Ms. Goto, that you have some… quarian goods with you." Luke whispered so as his friends could not hear the conversation going on.

The thief smirked. "Give me some digits and I shall give them to you."

Luke looked at the floor. "I just have 200,000 creds with me but I can give you the rest later on, just give me some time."

Kasumi chuckled. "I know Luke. What you are doing for that girl over there," She gestured with her head towards Lia, who was in the couch looking intently at them, her eyes strangely fixed on Kasumi. "It's worth more than millions of credits. I will give you those goods, on the condition that you will take good care of her."

Luke smirked. "You just got yourself filthy rich Kasumi."

The thief smirked and then said, "Well, let me get the stuff..."

Luke then got her by the arm. "I want this as a surprise okay? Look, me and Lia are sleeping on the same room…" that made Kasumi eye him up and giggle. "No! Not like that. Just give me a heads up when you have them okay?"

"Alright, I will. Give me an hour." And then she disappeared.

Luke walked back to the group with a grin on his face. He saw Mindus eyeing him up, Lia with her eyes fixed on his and Kolyat tilting his head to the side.

"So… how did it go?" Mindus asked.

Luke sat with Lia and embraced her with his right arm. "Oh it's done."

The quarian whispered. "What is done?"

"You'll see, it's a surprise."

She then started nuzzling his neck, making both Kolyat and Mindus laugh. They then left to give them privacy.

* * *

'_Damn girl.'_ Shepard thought as Tali had given him one of the best and most intimate nights of his life. They had arrived to the cabin, which had a decontamination unit that was installed by Mordin barely a few weeks earlier, and both lost it. It was like going primal for Shepard but he was conscious all along…

Tali had growled and shouted "You are mine" countless times and for some weird reason, it turned Shepard on. She was claiming what was hers, and the commander could not help but reply "and you are mine" to her. She purred every single time he said that.

Commander Shepard was lying, like a boss, on his bed with his beautiful quarian. She was nuzzling his neck , having a blissful sleep, her warm breath on his neck. They had done it… _'How many times?' Oh yeah' _they had more than four "sessions" of lovemaking. Shepard was exhausted but he was extremely happy with the recent turn of events, and grinned at the idea of getting Tali drunk once in a while to get her like this…

While Tali being territorial was cute and funny, it would not be pleasant to see her hurting someone else, like Miranda or Kelly. Indeed, Tali was jealous of those two, and Shepard had told her that she was the only one. She calmed down for a long time until today, when she voiced her "concerns" in her mood swing.

The commander knew that the "meeting" on the Migrant Fleet would not be pretty good. He being in a relationship with Tali'Zorah, the most famous quarian in recent history, and having a geth with him. Surely, things did not look good in the horizon. And then, there were the other three stooges. Luke, Mindus and Kolyat, some of the best playas and party goers Shepard had ever met. Garrus had said that they were "properly chosen" by the Spirits to be really good party people.

Still, something bothered Shepard. Lia was involved romantically with Luke, a human, and she did not have a pilgrimage gift, so he thought of confining her to the ship. Boy was he so wrong….

* * *

"Gentlemen, I think it's time for a long and well deserved break after fixing weapons for hours." Mindus said.

Jacob frowned. "We've been here for less than two hours Mindus."

The drell and the other human chuckled. "It's time for our cig break pal." Luke replied.

"I will make sure Mordin has something for you guys to quit that crap." Jacob shook his head, but his grin gave away how much he was amused at the situation.

They groaned and left, on their way to enter the relaxation that tobacco brought to them, or so they claimed.

Once they were outside the armory, they went to the decontamination room. They were bored, anxious and really clingy on their packs. Mindus had his favorite "Pallaven Marlboro Reds," while Luke had his always loyal "Marlboro Lights," just as Kolyat did.

"So… Mindus." Luke began as he took a puff out of his cigarette, making the turian look at him. Kolyat, on the other side, was busy trying to light up his own cigarette with a lighter that once belonged to Garrus, now all broken up.

"Yeah?" The turian replied.

"Just what in god, gods, saints and all powerful beings names did you do to Jacob?"

"The black dude again? What? Something wrong with him?"

"No, I am trying to see if there is something wrong with you." Luke said fiercely as he pointed with his finger at Mindus. "Why did you give him a dextro beer?"

"It wasn't a dextro beer…."

Luke's eyes widened while Kolyat coughed on his throat. "Wait a minute…. you…. you poisoned him? Are you insane!"

Mindus stuttered. "No, it was not poison…."

Kolyat face palmed his face. "Then what did you do dumbass?" Clearly, the drell had been becoming familiar with human bad words ever since he struck friendship with these two.

"Okay just wait a second, let me feel this…." He took a puff out of his dextro cigarette and exhaled the smoke into the room. Luke and Kolyat did the same, their eyes fixed on him. He was cornered and they were going to do something stupid, so he was simply going to tell them.

"I went up to Miracle Mordin…." He began, "and I asked him for some sleeping pills, heavy ones, for you Luke, levo…." he stared at his best friend, "I claimed that you were having problems to sleep so…. I went to get some Root beer after, which does not have alcohol and put the pills in there." He took a moment to get a deep puff, "so I gave it to Jacob and he fell asleep like a baby."

The other two stared at him, not knowing what to say. Suddenly, Luke started laughing really hard. "Oh I get it!"

Kolyat gave the human a puzzled face. "What? What did you get?"

If turians could blush, Mindus would be doing that on epic proportions. He was sure his friend got the thing behind…. his acts of desperation against Jacob Taylor.

"Awwwww Mindus! You have a crush on Kasumi!" Luke said between laughs.

Kolyat stared at Mindus then started laughing, forgetting about his cigarette. He began to cough and laugh at the same time. "Oh by Arashu, Mindus you are such a case!"

Mindus just stared at them while taking a puff from his cigarette. "Screw you guys…."

"No wait! This is funny! However, I would like to say that what you did was awful man…." Luke frowned but then smiled and held his hand high. "High five bitch!" Mindus smirked and high fived him, well high five on a high three….

"Oh well, as long as your intentions were…. that and you knew what you were doing to not kill him its good." Kolyat said.

The three finished smoking and ordered EDI to finish with the decontamination process. The group went to the armory and did their job quite well. Even Jacob was impressed. Somehow, he suspected something among them, as they were smiling at each other and constantly snickering amongst themselves. Mindus, of course, was saying stupid things to keep the situation in a well mannered, somewhat cheery atmosphere.

* * *

'_I wonder what he's up to.' _The young quarian thought as she fixed some algorithms on Gabby's station. The young engineer got sick from a meal of Gardner, surely enhancing his reputation as one of the worst cooks in galactic history. Lia still had her own nutrient pastes, so she did not complain about him.

Luke was almost like a mystery to her. She learned that he had a pretty dark past, which somehow attracted her and she couldn't explain it. She had made some research on him, and found out his battle prowess by watching a video where he knocked out a fellow N7 commando in close combat. She still had her doubts on how efficient the sport was, called boxing. Undoubtedly, she found the video quite sexy….

"Lass, you should take a break, it's been quite a few hours…" Donnelly, one of the funniest humans she had ever met, said. She was used to his wit and constant teasing, and she found it cool. It was obvious, from the beginning, that he was really friendly and open with aliens.

"Oh don't worry, I can continue Mr. Donnelly." She replied.

He frowned and turned to her, clearly exaggerating his expression. "Oh woman, I told you to call me Ken, Mr. Donnelly makes me feel utter old…"

The two stared and started laughing, with some giggles escaping Lia's mouth. "Okay Ken, let us take a break."

The human smiled and nodded. Tali was in her usual work mode. She had been quite happy and actually "engaged" Ken in teasing fights. It ended with a "I have a shotgun."

However, Lia was quite worried that Tali looked sick. She had been coughing and sneezing often. Lia could not help but ask her current situation. She dismissed Ken, telling him she would meet with the people at the mess in a few minutes.

"Umm Tali?" Lia cautiously approached Tali. Memories from her "bitchy" period were still vivid in Lia's mind.

"Yes Lia, how can I help you?" Tali replied as she turned to greet her.

"I noticed you have been coughing and sneezing…. Are you okay?"

Tali's eyes widened. Her body language, to Lia, showed nervousness and shyness. "Oh just an infection."

The young quarian tilted her head to the side. "But Tali, you have not been in combat lately. We have just been probing planets."

"Oh… I just got an infection from… the alcohol." The Chief Engineer replied quite nervously.

Lia shook her head. "I am sorry Tali, but I don't believe you. I just want to...-"

"I had sex with my mate, Lia."

Lia's eyes widened at her confession, and felt heat rushing to her cheeks. "You what?"

The other quarian sighed. "Lia, I had a…. session with Shepard last night, that's why I am sick."

Lia's cheeks felt really heated up. It was obvious that it was the truth. However, one part of her mind kept pushing her. _'If you ask her how she did it, maybe you can do it with Luke in the future….'_

'_NO!' _The other part argued. _'She will eat you with teasing!'_

Tali smiled beneath her helmet. "Later I will explain you how, its obvious you want to mate with him. I will tell you later on with full details eh?"

Lia blushed and looked away.

* * *

Citadel, 13:00 hours.

Vic was now on top of the world, or he felt like that. The other remaining gangs were not match for them, and most, if not all, were annihilated within days. The Black Hand had complete control over Citadel Space now.

Just a few days earlier, Vic had killed a top Blue Suns Commander that was trying to gain a foothold in the Citadel. The Black Hand retaliated a few minutes after he landed. The human, about thirty five years old, was killed by Vic in close combat by to the old docks, only used by the low of society. These were abandoned after Sovereign's attack two years earlier. They still worked, and some kept a blind eye of what was happening there.

After Vic killed him, his forces seized control of the ship and freed all slaves inside, killing all the guards in the process. Unsurprisingly, the Black Hand offered them a job, and the vast majority of them, humans, quarians and some asari, accepted. The batarians were freed but could not be recruited. The Black Hand was known to hate slavery, and so batarians were always rejected.

Now, Vic was given a new mission by High Command, recruit and ensure Black Hand superiority in the Citadel station. Superiority was complete, that was sure. Kelham was in Omega, trying to survive and continue with his illicit activities. _'Guess I will take a trip to Omega then.'_

One thing the turian recruits liked about the Black Hand was the code of honor the organization followed. Vic had no complaints about it. He had presented the laws to the recruits, which all of them accepted immediately.

The list was as follows:

_1. No slavery. Slaves are to be freed._

_2. No killing of rival families unless ordered._

_3. Respect police officers unless provoked and no other options at hand._

_4. The Black Hand is your new home, and your fellow officers and soldiers are now your bothers, family._

_5. Respect fellow members unless you see them doing something wrong. Complaints are investigated by the Prevention Squad._

_6. Respect officers like your parents. Any lack of respect will be severely punished._

_7. Killing of children will be punished by torture and death._

_8. No racism among members. This can be punished severely for ignorance._

_9. No stealing among members. First punishment is a fine, second no salary for three weeks and third, amputation of arm._

_10. Killing indiscriminately will be punished by torture and death._

_11. Always follow orders, never question them._

_12. Consumption of drugs is forbidden._

The organization had been around for centuries, or so Vic had heard. He, like ninety nine point nine percent of the members of the organization, did not know much of their employer, other than its power, influence and benefits. History of the Black Hand was something particularly in the dark in that matter.

Of course, Vic had tried to find out more about the Black Hand but he was reprimanded before he could get any information on them. He owed his life to them, which is why he stopped doing it, also fearing for his life in the process.

Vic was the child of an exiled member of the flotilla. His mother tried her best to raise her son, and, after less than a year living in a poor apartment, she was spotted by a very strange man while working at her station in a store. A human, he was extremely intelligent and rich, enough to be one of the richest men in the Citadel. He hired his mother as an engineer technician and subsequently became very accommodated in society. The human had no family or relatives, he was the only owner and his only family, but grew close to the pair.

The quarians got used to humans and eventually began forming friendships with them. The strange man, named Mark McNamara, was kidnapped by a mob close to his house, and was never seen again. Reports said it had been fanatical members of the Terra Firma party. Vic's mother, Fidia, strangely inherited most of his fortune, and left to Eden Prime to start a new life. Vic had asked that to his mother, and always got the same answer… "No questions just go on with life."

Fidia then met Philip Delacroix, an ex special forces marine officer. Both would eventually become romantically involved and the human trained Vic in his spare time from his job as a security advisor. Vic was praised by his "adoptive father" as a very intelligent and fierce young fellow. They developed a really good friendship, but Vic never called him father, just Phil.

After a few years, scouts of the Black Hand spotted Vic training with Alliance soldiers close to a base and was then offered a contract he could not refuse. Protection for his family and a great salary in exchange for his services, as he knew some humans wanted to evict his mother from the planet. Vic, who never went to "school," accepted.

After years of serving with distinction, he became one of the best and elite officers of the Black Hand. He became ruthless but just, fierce but disciplined and reckless but intelligent. In 2183, Eden Prime was attacked by the geth, and most of its population killed. His mother survived but Philip died defending their home.

Fidia became cold and dismissive towards Vic after that. She still leads her own engineering company, called Fidia's Drivecore. Her mother's company is currently supported by mighty mega corp DLV Services, which ensured its survival and prosperity in the market, also getting protection in the process.

Vic got his thoughts cleared as he approached Bailey's office. The turian sergeant nodded to him as he worked on his terminal. The quarian smiled, getting respect was something really cool for someone of his species.

As he saw Bailey's office, he could not help but smirk as the officer yelled at a detective.

"I told you! You have to respect people, no matter who they are! Next time something happens like this, Shepard will have your head!" Armando Bailey screamed at a detective, who was looking at the ground, seemingly finding it fascinated.

"But sir, we assumed he was going to steal from us." The man replied.

"I don't care! If Luke sent him, it's because he's legit! If I hear about this again, you will be in the Spectre's death list! Now get out of my sight before I break your nose."

The man saluted and rapidly left the office, eyeing up the quarian standing outside the door. He muttered something and proceeded on his way out.

Vic lightly knocked on the door.

"Come in." Bailey said.

The quarian stepped in, getting Bailey's attention. The C-Sec captain frowned and looked at him intently. He then signaled for Vic to sit on a chair in front of his desk.

Bailey subsequently disabled all cameras in his room, along with the bugs planted there months earlier.

"How is business going Bailey?" Vic asked, a smirk hidden beneath his visor.

Bailey set his eyes on Vic's and said. "Usual shit, what do you want Vic?"

"Right to business, I like that Bailey." Vic replied. He then got some datapads and put them on the desk. "These individuals are Blue Suns and Eclipse agents. Arrest them."

Bailey smirked. "And what if I don't?"

"We will kill them." The quarian replied, simple yet deadly answer.

The captain laughed. "I will arrest them, and you can take the scum, don't want them in my jail."

Vic nodded and smiled. "Good, I like that. Don't worry, we will keep crime low in exchange of peace. You agree?"

"I agreed with your so called diplomats or agents or whatever, yes I do, as long as you keep the scum in check."

"You just got yourself a deal Bailey."

As the two descended into silence, Vic spoke up. "One last thing."

"Yeah?"

"I want Luke, Mindus and Kolyat."

Bailey got up and pointed a finger at Vic. "No! Those three were some of my best agents, you will not kill them!"

Vic laughed softly and dismissed him with a hand gesture. "Nah, I don't want their heads, I want to recruit them. I know they are with Shepard now, so they don't belong to anyone."

Bailey shook his head. "They will never join you and I don't even know where they are. So if this is all…."

Vic stood up and shook his hand. "Yeah, hope we prosper captain, keela'selai."

* * *

One thing Luke liked about surprises was the people's "oh my god" face. He wanted that with his new girlfriend, Lia. He and his rag tag company of friends had been hanging out at the crew's mess, after finishing their shifts and jobs. Garrus was telling stories of how he and Shepard became best friends and comrades while Tali was explaining Lia how to infuse energy into a power cell that could eventually illuminate the entire ship for weeks.

For Luke, it was all gibberish, but he had his hand on Lia's thigh, which had been causing the poor young quarian to stutter at times while talking to her boss. It was really cute for Luke, but then it got bad after Lia punched him silently in the gut.

After a few hours of hanging out and trading stories, people went their separate ways to go to sleep. Luke and friends knew that the Migrant Fleet was less than ten hours away. This was going to be either the best surprise ever, or the biggest shit he had got into, maybe both.

Mindus and Kolyat finally went to their respective beds and fell asleep. It was two o'clock in the morning, and Luke was chatting with Lia. They were both sitting on her bed, holding hands.

"Luke, could you please tell me what you have as a surprise for me?"

Luke grinned. "In time babe."

She was getting furious. She concluded that surprises were awful as you had to wait a lot of time to finally get whatever your friends, or boyfriend, wanted to give you. Throughout the day, she had been asking him nonstop about it. He would either change the topic or reply "in time."

"Luke, either you show me now or else!" She playfully said as she smacked him in his chest. She had been staring at it for quite some time. She concluded that his abs and muscles were top class sexy.

"Stay here and close your eyes."

'_Finally' _She thought.

Luke left and went outside the crew quarters. Lia, confused, opened her eyes but was only met with a "Close your eyes babe, I can see them glowing!"

She obeyed and fumed. This situation was quite getting to her nerves. She wanted to see what he had already, but just heard light footsteps and finally, the words she had been waiting for.

"Open your eyes love." She opened them and her eyes travelled to a couple of ancient looking rocks. She gasped when she saw khelish written on them.

"These are the scrolls of Chatur'gha, one of the oldest documents of quarian history…" He said with a huge smile on his face.

Lia's mouth was wide open. She could not believe this. Those scrolls had been lost for centuries before the Geth Uprising began. These were worth millions upon millions for any art dealer.

"W-wh-where did you get them?" She asked, stuttering as she got up from bed and continued to look at the inscriptions.

"Shepard and Kasumi retrieved it from a powerful human arts dealer…. and evil all round dude. So…. I got it from Kasumi, I knew these would be a good pilgrimage gift." He said, giving her a wink as the word "pilgrimage" got out of his mouth.

Forgetting about the tablets, Lia rushed and hugged Luke with all of her strength, her sobs rocking his body.

"Thank you so much…." She said between sobs.

Luke smirked. "I take that you like this? I can't read crap of what it says but I assume is religious stuff."

She chuckled and her hold tightened on him. "What do you think?" She replied, her voice full of happinnes.

He just laughed and kissed her visor, making her blush. "I'll take that as a yes."

Both cuddled closely in Lia's bed for the rest of the night.

* * *

Shepard was waiting for Tali and Garrus in the airlock. The Normandy had gotten to the Valhallan Thereshold within a few hours after Lia's surprise.

The Commander then said, "EDI, please inform Lia that she can present her pilgrimage gift whenever she wants."

Tali, surprised, looked at him, "When did she get a gift?"

Shepard smirked. "You'll see."

Garrus laughed and shook his head. He knew what had happened between Lia and Luke. He had seen them cuddled closely with each other as he went out to get a snack. He saw the tablets and just laughed softly.

"He is an intelligent dude, 'nuff said."

The chief engineer shook her head and went on with Shepard and Garrus onto the Rayya. They had been informed that Admiral Raan was waiting for them in the plaza where the whole trial had taken place.

* * *

"Luke! We are here!" Lia said anxiously as she got up and shook him.

The human groaned and muttered something about five more minutes. The fiery quarian then got her onmi tool and put something at full volume.

"_I'm a Barbie girl in a Barbie world! Made of plastic, it's fantastic!"_

"The fuck!" Luke said as he got up with a hand on his chest. "Why did you wake me up with that horrendous song!"

Lia smirked beneath her visor. "Because you are a lazy bosh'tet."

Luke shook his head and said, "Alright let me take a shower and…." He then looked where Mindus was sleeping. His snoring sounded like a dog.

"Wake up bitch!" Luke screamed.

Mindus got up and scanned the room. "What?"

"It's time to rise and shine deuce bag."

The turian shook his head, annoyed. "Okay, now what?"

"We are in the Migrant Fleet idiot! We have to go!"

Mindus smirked. "Do you think they serve beer there?"

Lia shook her head. "No, not for… outsiders." She tried to not say the word alien.

Luke frowned. Suddenly, his eyes sparked with such an intensity. "Lia, what do you do with your nutrient pastes thingies? Where you put your food!"

She tilted her head to the side. Mindus just looked as confused. "We put them in the kitchen, why?"

The human the patted the turian. "I got an amazing idea. You still have the Don Julio and the dextro Coronas?"

Mindus smirked. "You know that is a yes kid."

"Since we have to go in full armor and with a helmet, then…."

Mindus laughed. "You are my hero!"

"It's time for Operation Migrant Fun!" Luke said enthusiastically. _'Maybe this can get me closer to quarian culture. If they like me, they will approve of me being with Lia!'_

As Luke went up to Lia and gave her a hug, he said, "Wake Kolyat up, we have a surprise for him!"

Both then got out and eventually disappeared into the ship. Lia shook her head and sighed. "I wonder what those two are up to."

* * *

**So, if you guys guess what these two stooges are going to do with the said nutrient paste thingies, you get free internet candy!**

**Also, if you deduce what does DLV stands for, you get a cookie! Its not so hard guys.**

**The Black Hand reminds me of the Sicilian Mafia and other powerful crime syndicates, but these guys are far more powerful. A cartel is not a gang, it is a powerful organization, and if its paramilitary, even more power.**

**If an organization has a code of honor, it can ensure discipline and respect amongst members, and also respect from civilians. If you get those two, you have a very powerful organization.  
**

**This chapter was fun to write. Not a lot of comedy but still you have the end with a good cliffhanger. I hope you guys liked it and as always, a pleasure.**


	19. Chapter 19

Here you go guys, 19th chapter. Took me a full day, as I have been planning the next chapter too, which, although somewhat short, will be pure action. Don't worry, you won't be disappointed.

Vote up on the poll, I can tell you it's 16 against 8, but not what side is winning, so vote up peeps!

**Dr. Edward**: Thanks! Glad to see you enjoying my story! Review if you have any suggestions or anything! It makes me happy to hear from people enjoying this story!

**JustAFerret**: You will get a cookie, enough said. Here you go! *throws cookie* About the DLV, not even close!

**ArchShadow24**: Well, see for yourself!

**StrikerXE**: Heh I think I've heard that phrase before!

Thanks y'all, I am so proud of you guys helping me with my story! Shout out to **ArchShadow24** and **StrikerXE** for noticing quite a mistake last chapter.

Well... onward!

* * *

Chapter 19: Of Drunks, Migrants and Surprises

"I feel like a chemist." Mindus said as he poured the beer into the food canisters both Lia and Tali used for their suits. The turian was impressed with his best friend. He had come up with this in a matter of seconds. He couldn't believe that they were going to get wasted in the Migrant Fleet.

"Yo Luke, you don't plan on making a mess right?" The turian with green clan markings asked.

Luke smirked. "Since when do you worry about making a mess bro?"

"Since we were kicked out of Choras Den two years ago."

The human laughed as he poured tequila into one of the canisters. "I don't even know why they got so worked up, just because I made a tiny little mistake."

"Tiny?" The turian teased. "You called a krogan cockroach and an asari squid. Mistake it was because they were the bouncers."

"Well, it was a good fight, and since we were pretty wasted, we felt nothing."

"Until the next day. I swear on the Spirits, I felt like buying a wheelchair from that Krogan Punch!"

Luke laughed hard as he remembered The Krogan Punch, something he can up with the next day when they were at the hospital.

"Well, levos are the green canisters and dextro, the blue ones, for you."

Mindus nodded as he poured more beer into a blue canister. Finally, Kolyat showed up, rubbing his eyes lazily.

"What are you guys up to? Kitchen now a place to hang out?" The drell asked.

Both men turned and smirked. "We just got a plan to have some fun while we wait for Lia to get her new suit." Luke answered.

"Assuming the gift gets accepted." Mindus added with a bit of sarcasm.

"Yeah, when there are some thousand year old tablets? Lost scripts of quarian history? Yeah we have to be prepared for her to be rejected." Kolyat said sheepishly.

The three stooges laughed as the mess hall began to get filled with crewmen and squad mates alike. Some were looking at them, clearly curious as to what they were doing.

Hawthorne approached. "What's up guys? What are you up to?"

"Nothing." Mindus answered.

Luke then smacked him in the head, earning a grunt from the turian. "Oh we are just getting some water for my girlfriend and Chief Tali'Zorah."

Hawthorne shook his head as he saw bottles of beer and tequila in the trash can. He smirked and left.

"Alright peeps, Operation Migrant Fun starts now." Luke said as he put the canisters in a bag and the three left laughing, earning some stares from the crew.

* * *

Lia was nervous. Now that she had the gifts, she could not think of a ship to serve. She knew that, if she choose the Qwib Qwib, the three stooges would eat her alive. The Rayya was…. well not good for her. It didn't matter at all, she was thinking of staying on the Normandy, provided that Shepard actually got permission from the Admiralty Board. As much as she wanted to help the fleet inside, she could do so in the outside fighting a mighty enemy that could probably destroy her home and send her people into the long list of extinct races.

When she departed her home, she was eager to go and get the best ship she could buy for the fleet. It turned out that the racist bastards in the Citadel never let her work, as signs of "No Quarians" or the comments of "Sorry we have no work" made her life miserable. She had to live on a shelter made by the only good people left in the Citadel. She truly thought they were the only ones who did not see her as a second class citizen or as a thief. That until she met Shepard, Luke and the Bad Boys.

While Shepard had saved her from possible further harassment from C-Sec, Luke had turned to be a blessing for her. He helped her get a job at C-Sec and saved her life from certain death, twice. While no one would have cared for what would have happened to her, he did. It was strange, even for her, but she developed a crush on him as soon as they started talking after the incident in the bar with the crazy turian.

In the hospital, she saw a broken warrior and a man with a really dark past. She had researched on the extranet on the "Hero of Truba" or "The Butcher of Slavers." She was shocked to find that Luke was responsible for over three hundred batarian deaths, most of them…. women and children. The article argued that, while the children were already considered adults by batarian standards, most of them were not even over seventeen.

The positive part of the article, much to Lia's happiness, was that Luke and his N7 squad rescued more than three hundred slaves, majority of them children. She knew that, after the death of his friend, the asari researcher, coupled with watching first hand women raped and children abducted, he snapped. The article further agreed that most, if not all, of his old squad mates turned quite "snappy" after the battle. Fred Sorensen, a friend of Luke and teammate, committed suicide a month after the battle. Luis Garcia, the sniper, was sent to an asylum and died of an overdose days after he was released.

The rest, including Luke, parted ways from the military. Such a sad end for them, as they were considered some of the best in their unit, but it had to come. She cursed at herself for thinking that this incident was quite for the good, as Luke became a renowned detective at C-Sec and thus, helped her.

'_Thinking about my boyfriend after arguing over ships to serve? You are a crazy girl.' _She thought. The interesting ships for her as a top ranking engineer, would be advanced, research like vessels, vessels like the Iktomi, Solana, Tonbay and the Neema, all good ships for her credentials as a good engineer and overall intelligent woman. However, there was one where she would be able to use it to join Shepard's crew… one with a somewhat crazy and cold admiral. _'The Moreh.' _She heard from someone that the admiral had been eyeing up the human commander, but she dismissed that as crazy.

Lia heard from Shepard himself during a crew meeting at the mess hall that Admiral Daro used to perform experiments on her toys when she was a child. Luke and Mindus joked, while drunk, that she was a powerful witch plotting to take over the Migrant Fleet and cross into the fourth dimension to join her druid followers in a planet called Galatzia.

As funny as their comments were, Lia could not help but shudder at the thought of serving such a crazy woman provided that Shepard's request was rejected. Indeed, the Moreh would be an excellent choice, and would let her get a lift, assuming the rumors of Daro running around were true.

She dismissed it but knew that Shepard would vouch for her. The problem was that, provided they accepted, her parents would probably want to have an answer for her change of plans. As her father, Sarko, was a well respected Migrant Fleet Marine captain, she was going to be questioned, and Luke probably captured by marines.

She laughed at the thought of Luke talking to her father and trying to get his blessings for the relationship he had with his daughter. The human would probably get a beating and a terrible tantrum from the old marine.

Her mother, on the other hand, was an excellent physician, known for helping Tali'Zorah when she came back from her pilgrimage. Lia asked her mother several times about Tali's problem, but she always said "Patient-Doctor confidentiality," making the young quarian snort all those times she received that answer. Now, she knew why Tali had been depressed those two years, and could not blame her.

"I will choose the Moreh." She said softly to herself as she stared at her tablets. "I am sure that crazy admiral would like those tablets, lots of quarian history there anyway."

She smiled at herself, getting up and taking the tablets, ready to face the fire she was going to get from the Admiralty Board, Luke and probably her father, who did not trust Daro.

* * *

Luke, Mindus and Kolyat were just outside the Migrant Fleet, waiting for the decontamination to finish. They had gotten a message from Lia stating that she was going to be ready in a while. The three, anxious to see the Quarian Fleet for the first time in their lives, decided to take matters into their own hands. They heard they were stationed on the Rayya, one of the mighty liveships of the fleet.

"This is getting annoying." Mindus groaned.

"Yeah I know, quarians take this shit seriously." Luke answered him as the decontamination had already taken more than three minutes.

As Kolyat was about to speak, the door opened and the three saw a marine detachment. Luke frowned as Mindus snorted in annoyance. The drell chose to stay silent.

One of the marines spoke. "Welcome to the Rayya, I am the captain of this ship, Kar'Danna Vas Rayya."

Luke smiled beneath his helmet. "You are not going to check us aren't you? You should have weapon scanners right there." He pointed at the airlock.

The captain and some of the marines laughed heartily. "Well, you come with Captain Shepard, everything he touches explodes."

The three laughed. "Nah, we come here to witness my… friend's coming of age, she just finished her pilgrimage and she is getting ready."

The captain nodded. "Hah, I thought only Shepard would care about that. Who is your friend by the way?" The captain asked with a hint of caution.

"Lia'Vael Nar Ulnay." Luke answered as Mindus and Kolyat played with sticks as swords, amusing the quarian marines.

The captain shook his head and nodded at the people behind Luke. "Who are those two? Oh and who are you? If you want to tell us that is."

The human laughed and then said, "Aww, always the little clowns these two." He said. Then he stomped on Mindus' foot and punched the drell, earning grunts. "What the fuck is wrong with you guys? This is the ship's captain, show some respect! Damn!" He whispered to them.

"These are my best friends, Mindus Vactus." He pointed at the turian, who nodded. "And Kolyat Krios." The drell also nodded at the captain.

The captain then stared at Luke. His cheeks getting red in embarrassment, Luke cleared his throat and said, "Oh, I am Lucio de la Vega."

Some of the marines whispered among themselves. The captain turned to them. "What's going on marines?"

A quarian woman, with an assault rifle on her back, approached. "This is the Butcher of Slavers sir, the one who killed over three hundred batarian pirates and slavers."

One from the back said, "And saved more than a two hundred slaves!"

The captain shook his head in amusement at his marines. "Your reputation precedes you De la Vega."

"Just call me Luke, I feel old when they call me by my last time."

The woman eyed up Luke, then nodded at him and saluted her captain, joining the group of soldiers. Luke shrugged.

"Well, you guys are free to go, Shepard is set to meet the admirals in a private room, and Lia will meet her chosen captain of the ship later on, you can go to the plaza in the meantime though, just follow those doors, you can't miss it."

The three nodded and thanked the captain, politely excusing themselves from him and the marines, venturing into one of the biggest ships in the Migrant Fleet.

"Holy shit, this is big, and crappy." Mindus commented as they crossed several cables and worn out paint in the walls.

"Yeah, looks like Luke drank here." Kolyat teased, getting elbowed in the process.

The trio finally made it to the plaza, where some quarians were hanging around, talking and seemingly oblivious to their presence. Finally, when they made it to the small yet tough looking stands, every single quarian in a fifty yard radius turned to see them. Some gasps were heard, along with the old "Keelah."

Mindus, feeling cornered and observed like a lab rat, snapped. "What? Do we look like geth?"

"Easy." Luke said as he sat down in one of the stands, amused by his turian friend's outburst. Kolyat sat down and got something out.

"Well gentlemen, the first drink, in honor of Lia'Vael nar Ulnay, may she get her suit and a new ship, but stay on the Normandy…. AND, hope Lia and Luke last a long time!" Kolyat prayed, but got elbowed and smacked in the head at the end.

"The hell? Remember, I'm human, she's a quarian, and these people are all damn gossipers! Shut it!" Luke whispered. Mindus just shook his head.

Social life in the flotilla was sort of like a high school because the gossip was one of the most popular and stress-free activities of the quarian race. Luke hated it when he was at the academy, getting into a few fights in the process. A slip up of his relationship with Lia, and her pilgrimage could turn into a nightmare.

Of course, being a quarian meant, for Luke and his companions, the common stereotype, friendly, of an engineer, lots of parts to fix and then go to a gossiping class. When Luke teased Lia about this, he got a smack on his head, making Mindus and Kolyat laugh for the whole day.

"Alright, sorry guys." Kolyat relented.

Mindus then eyed them up, "For Lia." He got his beer canister up.

"For Lia." The other two said and quickly connected the canisters on their heads, drinking and moaning.

"Ahhh, good shit." Mindus said.

Kolyat nodded. Luke then got an idea. "Hey! Let us play some poker!"

The three laughed and Mindus got the deck of cards off his armor pocket, ensuing a game that he always won no matter what….

In the distance, a quarian in a red suit watched them intently.

* * *

Shepard sighed as Zaal'Koris continued to rant about his meddling in quarian affairs. The most powerful soldier in the galaxy hated politics, and that is what he was getting in this so called "private meeting."

Han'Gerrel had stressed his idea of invading geth space and reclaiming their home world. Shala and Daro remained silent as Shepard, Tali and Garrus continued to hear the suit wetter and the warmonger rant against themselves.

"You suit wetter! You know that this fleet won't last long!"

"And that is why we must seek peace with the geth you moron!"

"Moron? You call me moron when Shepard here put you in ridicule in front of the whole fleet? The geth can't be reasoned with! They killed ninety nine point nine percent of our population!"

'_Oh you would be surprised…' _Shepard smirked when he heard the phrase "the geth can't be reasoned with."

Shala had enough. "Admirals! We are here to listen to Shepard's proposal, not to fight or discuss _private_ matters of the fleet." She said stressing the word private.

Han grumbled while Zal snorted. Finally, Daro spoke. "And what do you have to propose us commander?"

She said commander because she wanted to stress her strict Migrant Fleet policy on not granting outsiders power in decisions and opinions.

"Well I could have said it before but Han and Zal chose to play their ranting game." Shepard teased. Tali giggled very quietly at that.

Han laughed. "Well, I wouldn't have joined into that game if this suit wetter had not started with his stupid calls for peace."

"I said that because I am smarter than you in these matters warmonger."

Garrus shook his head but remained silent.

"Okay then, let me tell you before you people start interrupting me."

The four admirals nodded at him, waiting for his suggestion.

"Well, first of all, I would like to suggest two quarians I would like on my crew…."

"More? Shepard you already have Tali'Zorah, a valued member of the fleet…" Zal began.

"Who you tried to exile." Shepard retorted.

Garrus and Tali smirked at that. Zal snorted and got quiet again.

"Alright enough, Shepard who and why?" Shala asked.

"I want Lia'Vael and Kal'Reegar on my crew." He said.

"Why?" Shala was now interested in Shepard's reasons.

Shepard smiled. "Kal is an excellent soldier, who I need to provide some flexibility and leadership skills on my squad. As for Lia, well because she is a great engineer that I will need in the future, she is a very intelligent and capable woman."

Daro tilted her head to the side. "Well commander, you must have something to bargain with us."

Shepard smirked beneath his helmet and nodded. "Yes I do. You must know by now that we ventured into the Omega Four Relay correct?"

The admirals nodded.

"Well, I have in my possession a very valuable object that can be copied to pass through and get to the other side."

"And what do we gain from that Shepard?" Daro asked. She was impressed with the commander being able to cross the legendary and infamous Omega Four Relay, where no ship had ever returned from. She had to remain cold, however.

"Well, you guys are great at salvaging, no pun intended; there are thousands upon thousands of ships on the other side, well parts of them, all waiting for someone to claim them. That will bring you a lot of credits admirals."

Xen smiled beneath her helmet. "So… we get all profits from that?"

Shepard nodded. "Of course."

The admirals looked at each other and turned on their private channels. After talking for more than ten minutes, they looked at Shepard. Shala spoke. "Shepard, you are giving us a lot, there has to be a catch, like you humans say."

Shepard nodded. "There is. I want those two I told you about and for you to listen to a crewmember of mine. That is it."

"Who is this crewmember?" Han asked cautiously.

"You will hear from that certain crewmember in time, for now I just want Kal and Lia." Shepard said firmly.

"Shepard, you could get a lot of money from this salvage operation, why are you rejecting that possibility?" Daro asked in a somewhat dubious voice. _'He is hiding something, he is a very intelligent man. Heh, he should be a politician too.'_

"Oh I have that covered, don't worry." _'Gotta love Liara, or should I say, the Shadow Broker hehe.'_

The four admirals looked at each other and, in a moment's notice, raised their omni tools, voting in the process.

"We approve that Lia'Vael nar Ulnay and Kal'Reegar vas Solana be assigned into your ship until further orders. Also, we are expecting that crewmember you talked about in the near future." Shala said, her voice really happy at the outcome of the meeting.

"Thank you, my XO will give you full access to our IFF, which you need to copy into your channels and then proceed with your salvaging operation. Otherwise your ship might be destroyed in the process." Shepard replied to Shala.

"And how do we know it will work Shepard?" Zal asked with a somewhat dubious voice.

Shepard sighed probably for the third time in a row. "I am here aren't I? I went through the Omega Four Relay, which gets you to the core of the galaxy, so be careful with that, the smaller the ships ,the better to outmaneuver the destroyed vessels."

The admirals nodded at him.

While Shepard turned to talk to Tali about this happy moment, she growled and stayed close to him.

"What?" Shepard asked.

Tali shook her head and took his hand, as the admirals were getting out. "Daro, I hate her."

"Why?" Garrus asked as he talked for the first time since the meeting began.

"I don't know, I just don't like her."

Garrus eyed her and smirked, knowing full well what she was growling at. Shepard shrugged and the three made their way out of the room.

* * *

Luke and company had been playing poker for about an hour. Lia was due to come out in a few minutes. Mindus, unsurprisingly, had won three games in a row.

The former N7 commando sighed. "Alright, here's my beer." He put a canister in the bench part used to put their betting objects.

Mindus had won three hundred credits from Kolyat and a levo beer from Luke, angering them both.

"Another beer for you Kolyat it seems." The turian cockily said.

Luke shook his head. "Alright, I call, what do you got?" He told Mindus. Since Kolyat had lost his credits, he stopped playing, earning a glare from Luke and a new nickname from Mindus, "Da Cheap Froggy."

Mindus smirked and said, "Just four aces yet again! Oh I am so lucky!" He said, taunting the human.

The said human grumbled and violently put his cards on the bench. "And me with four fucking kings again." He grumbled.

"Well, the best man always wins." Mindus said cockily as he prepared to get the items on the "bet corner."

"How come you always win Mindus?" Kolyat asked with an irritated tone.

"Its beginners luck." The turian replied.

Luke eyed him suspiciously. "I can't understand that every single time we play you get beginners luck."

"Oh you know…" Mindus began as he reached for the beer canister and the pack of cigarettes, a bet from Mindus himself, which was hurting Luke. "We turians are the best you see? All intelligent and…." As he stood up, Luke eyed where he was sitting. His face inside the helmet turned red in anger.

He promptly got the turian by his mandible and made him stand up. Mindus jerked in pain and nervously eyed up the dozens of aces that had been on his ass ever since they had started the game.

"If you wanna cheat, cheat fair, anything I hate more than a fucking slaver is a crooked crook!" Luke said angrily, attracting the attention of the quarians that had been watching them play.

Luke shook Mindus' body, making dozens of cards, all aces, fall from his pockets of the armor. The human gave him one last look before he slapped the turian hard on his "cheek," sending him to the ground.

The human chuckled and said, "Looks like I got beginners luck today!" He said happily as he got his beer and cigarettes. Kolyat promptly reclaimed his credits but not before kicking the turian, who was still on the ground.

"That's what you get you damn cheater!" Kolyat said with a smirk as he sat down and began taking a sip of his beer though the helmet.

The stupid and somewhat amusing events did not go unnoticed. All of the quarians snickered amongst themselves in the plaza as they saw the altercation and subsequent comical end for the turian. Some laughed, others smirked, while some still retained a degree of hostility towards them, particularly the turian, another of the countless races being known to be extremely hostile towards the Migrant Fleet.

The red suited quarian decided to approach them as he made his way to the stands where once Tali's trial had taken place.

"Hello?" He greeted somewhat cautiously was Mindus and Luke began to shout amongst themselves.

"You cheater! That is what you get!" Luke shouted.

"You always get poker of kings! You always cheat too you idiot!" Mindus shout back.

"Guys calm down!" Kolya tried to mediate things, but failed miserably.

"But at least I lost with dignity, unlike you." The human said, now more calmly.

The turian snorted. "You cheated and still you kept losing, what a retard!"

"Oh you mother fu…" Luke prepared to land a fist on the turian when a shout startled them.

"HEY!"

The three, surprised, turned to look at the shouting source.

"Who are you guys?" The red suited quarian asked.

"Luke here, this damn cheater is Mindus and the frog over there is Kolyat." Luke grumbled as he set a beer on his helmet, drinking and moaning as soon as the tequila touched his lips. "Ahhh awesome…"

"Are you members of Shepard's crew?" The quarian asked.

Mindus turned to see him, tired and somewhat grumpy. "Nah, we are proud members of the Quarian Fan Club from the Citadel… Of course we are with Shepard dude! How do you think we got here?"

Luke and Kolyat laughed loudly, with some quarians far away joining in, amused.

"Well, I am Kal'Reegar, and it's a pleasure to meet you guys." He said, ignoring their amusing joke, though he found it funny.

As they were going to shake his hand, Lia got there. "Hey guys, I am going to present my pilgrimage gift already, care to join me?" She sounded really happy.

Luke smirked. "Of course bab… I mean Lia, let us go and get your new suit eh?"

She blushed at that. Lia then turned to see the quarian standing before them, looking at her intently, waiting for her to introduce herself.

"Oh sorry, my name is Lia'Vael nar Ulnay, and I am going to finish my pilgrimage!" She said happily as she shook Kal's hand.

"Great work kid, you with these loonies?" Kal asked amusingly.

The three laughed at his remark.

"Yes, it is thanks to them that I got here actually, particularly Luke, he saved my life twice during my pilgrimage." She said proudly.

Kal eyed the human, who was busy looking at Mindus, the two sharing some glares.

"Well, glad to hear it Lia, you certainly made us proud out there." He then eyed her box. "So that is your gift?"

She nodded and as she was about to tell him about it, Tali arrived. "Guys, there are rumors of you shouting and making a war out here."

Mindus and Luke gulped. They both pointed their fingers at each other.

"It was Mindus, cheating bastard." Luke said sharply.

"No it was the drunk here!" Mindus fought back.

"I am not even drunk you retard!" Luke retaliated.

Everyone around laughed at them.

Tali had to interrupt though. "Well Lia, the admiral you told me about a little while ago is waiting for you, but you can only bring the one who helped you with your pilgrimage." She said, and her mind drifted to how saw she was when Shepard died and he could not be there when she presented her pilgrimage gift.

Her father never showed any pride or love or anything when she came back from the destruction of the Normandy. Shepard did, however. After seeing him on Freedom's Progress, he was very happy and proud that Tali had completed her pilgrimage and had become a very fiery woman. That attracted Shepard, or so he had told Tali.

Lia looked at the human. "Luke, could you come with me?"

Luke smiled and nodded. "Of course Lia."

The turian then said, "Well I guess me and Kolyat can chill here. Pass up another beer frog." He ordered.

* * *

Daro was now at her office, sitting and waiting for the so called Lia'Vael and her gift. According to Shepard, she would not be disappointed. _'Shepard…'_

The admiral was known to be cold and quite unfriendly to the majority of the fleet, but she was a highly intelligent researcher and scientist, reaching genius levels in those branches. She rejected quite a few propositions from some great suitors, thinking none were good enough for her. Rumor had it that she was…. that she liked the other side. In other words, that she was a lesbian.

Xen had laughed at those rumors, clear nonsense to her. She was fairly young for an admiral, barely thirty three, but she had been chosen due to her intelligence and passionate focus on fleet matters. Not that most quarians were not passionate about helping fix problems of their home, but none were as intelligent or respected as the admiral.

For years, she thought she would never meet a male on her standards and that she would stay single and give her all on fleet matters, particularly the geth question. She wanted to control them but knew it was quite hard, if not impossible after seeing what had happened to Rael and his ship. She had seen footage, but only the footage when Shepard entered the ship and started fighting his way through with Tali and the turian behind him.

She did not understand why he was so mad about it until he saw two videos later on. One, Shepard had replayed a video log where a young quarian mother had said her last goodbyes to her son and mate before being killed by geth, making Shepard growl loudly. Then when Shepard saw Tali distraught at the image of her father in the floor, dead, all because of him, he became even more enraged. He tore apart countless geth by himself using his biotics and powerful shotgun. His fierce determination and military genius skills had really been noticed by Daro….

When Shepard came back and fought fiercely for Tali's innocence, he had not said anything about her, but tore both Zal and Han apart. Because of him, she was now quite popular with the whole fleet, unlike the other two, who had been getting worse ever since. She would deny it to everyone, but the coldhearted bitch admiral had developed a fierce crush on the golden boy of humanity, on the spectre responsible for Saren's death and the destruction of thousands of geth.

During the meeting, she would feel her knees get weak as Shepard eyed her. She would stare at his deep blue eyes, looking for any weakness that could make Shepard not enough for her standards. She found none….. and she was quite alarmed at that.

She knew that Tali was his mate, or girlfriend, however humans called it. Quarians were fiercely overprotective of their romantic partners, so…. that was an obstacle.

"When has something stopped me?" She questioned herself. "Before anyone knows it, Shepard will be mine." She chuckled.

Finally, the door hissed and a quarian, with a human eerily close to her, approached her.

"Ma'am, I am here to present my pilgrimage gift." She said proudly. The human stood behind her, grinning beneath his helmet.

Daro got up and examined her. "You know that, to be in my ship, the Moreh, you need to present a gift of _very _high standards."

Lia nodded at her and knelt, opened her box and whispered to Luke. He nodded and, using his superior strength, got the ancient rocks out, both in bulletproof glass. He gently put them on Daro's desk and waited for Lia to begin.

"I, Lia'Vael nar Ulnay, present my Pilgrimage Gift, the Scrolls of Chatur'gha, and request to serve on the Moreh." When she said that, silence enveloped the room.

Daro gulped. _'Those scrolls have been lost for centuries, even before the Geth Uprising! It can't be true…'_ The admiral approached and scanned the scrolls, a light gasp coming from her. _'Not fake, these are legit. I can't even understand some of the words, it's really ancient Khelish!'_

Luke remained silent, knowing that he would only be needed if questions arose as to how the gift was found. He was ready to lie and say whatever bullshit came to his mind.

Daro then looked at Lia. "Very impressive Ms. Vael, you are accepted into the Moreh, which doesn't make a difference though since you will serve with Commander Shepard, but its fine by me."

Lia happily nodded and hugged Luke, who widened his eyes and chuckled. "Hey, you deserve it… eh kiddo." He said.

The admiral shook her head. _'Of course they are involved…. but I have no concerns there.'_

"Your new suit should be available in a few hours, that if you have filled the questionnaire?" Daro asked professionally.

"Yes I already have ma'am." Lia replied. Daro just nodded at her.

"Questionnaire?" Luke asked, amused.

"We are able to customize our suits after completing our pilgrimage. I did mine a few hours ago, that is why I took long to…. greet you and your friends." She said shyly.

Luke smiled and nodded. "Come on tell me, how does it look?"

"It will be a surprise." She said, amused. _'How humans say, karma is a…. butcher?'_

He groaned and said, "Oh I get it for my surprise with your…" He trailed off, looking at the admiral, who was looking at them intently. "Your…" He then looked at her. "Your food! Yeah, remember when I bought you food at the Citadel?"

Lia shook her head. "Of course I do Luke."

Both laughed and went outside, leaving Daro finally at peace.

The admiral shook her head. "Well, where was I? Oh yes…. I think I need to start Project Shepard…" She then laughed loudly, something she never did usually. _'Oh Tali'Zorah will never imagine or see it coming….'_

* * *

"I told you! We.. we… we need to wait for Luke!" Mindus said, already drunk from having over eight strong red dextro tecates. No wonder in Latin America, they dubbed the red tecates "Red Ants." They had the power to knock out a turian quite easily.

"Sh.. sh… shut up." Kolyat said, barely able to walk or talk for that matter, holding on from Kal, who shook his head at him. Mindus was holding on Garrus.

"Whe..where's the other dum…dumbass?" Mindus asked Garrus.

"If you are talking about Luke, he will wait until Lia get's her suit and then come back." Garrus replied.

"What a –hiccup- traitor…"

Tali and Shepard, now away from prying eyes, held hands and walked into the Normandy, earning a chuckle from Kal.

"Always knew it, how you rescued her from Haestrom and then the trial, it was obvious sir." Kal said proudly.

Shepard smirked. "If it was so obvious, then why didn't you say anything?"

"Oh to not make the ma'am mad."

Tali shook her head. "My name is Tali!"

"Working on it ma'am."

Mindus laughed. "He… he… can't spell Tali? What a… a… re… retarded dumbass! Ha!"

* * *

Lia was now out of her suit, and the new one was carefully set up on a private closet in a clear room. Luke had mentioned that he would like to get into one. When Lia refused to let him into one, he had asked why. She could not answer it. She has the answer on her mind though. _'Because I would never be able to keep my hands off you.'_

She was now naked, watching her body on the first mirror she had seen on the Migrant Fleet. She considered herself "nice" for quarian standards but did not know if Luke would. Someday, she would show him….

She took her new suit and began the lengthy process of putting it on her. First the enviro suit… then the armor, and finally her veil and visor. It was such hard work but she had to, as much as she did not like it. She had loved to get her first suit when she was a child, but then grew disappointed over the years. It was a prison, a sad prison where she could only touch things through the fabric, which was it.

After more than an hour, she finally completed the job and looked herself in the mirror, grabbing her hips and "modeling." She smiled at the sight. _'I guess I look quite good.'_

Now that that was addressed, she pressed the button and eventually got outside the clean room, with Luke drinking and waiting for her just a few yards to the right, standing up against the wall, humming a song. She eyed him up and smiled, though he did not notice her. She giggled quietly. Yet again, the picture of Luke singing a tender song was cute for her.

"My life is dead, my love is pure, I saw an angel…. Of that I'm sure, she smiled me on the subway… she was with another man…." He then noticed her and gasped.

Lia'Vael Vas Moreh, but soon Vas Normandy, looked absolutely amazing. Her suit was adorned by an amazing looking deep blue gray fabric with light green stripes. Her visor was now deep violet, like Tali's. The suit, in its entirety, along with the armor, was a combination of deep blue and gray, sort of the color of the sky when it's about to rain. Luke loved that…

Luke's jaw dropped at the sight. He then followed the song. "You're beautiful, you're beautiful, it's true."

Lia squeaked and rushed to hug him. "You like?"

"You look amazing darling."

She giggled quietly at his comment.

"And beautiful." He finished with a smirk.

The quarian blushed.

"So… we should go see my family…" She said quietly.

The human gulped. "Erm… yeah okay."

She giggled again, making him blush. "Awww, its Luke afraid of meeting my parents?" She teased.

"Terrified." He said honestly.

The two made their way out of the Rayya's clean rooms and went to the plaza, where Lia's parents were waiting for her.

As they made it there, Luke saw a well built quarian, probably his height, 6'1, and a quarian female, about the same height of Lia, 5'10.

The quarian couple saw their daughter and rushed, hugging her in the middle of the plaza. Luke stayed behind, proud of her girl.

"Oh Lia! We missed you so much!" Her mother said.

The father hugged her too, a little too hard. "I missed you girl! We are so proud of you!"

As the family laughed and nodded at each other, the father turned to look at the human.

"Hello there, who are you?" The father asked cautiously while the mother still hugged Lia like a little baby.

"Lucio de la Vega sir, it is a pleasure to finally meet the famous marine Lia talks so much about."

The quarian eyed the human but then smiled and happily shook his hand. "Migrant Fleet Marines Captain Sarko'Vael Vas Ulnay, pleasure to meet the man that helped my daughter throughout her pilgrimage."

'_Shit.'_ Luke turned and saw Lia, who simply said, "I kept in touch with them all along."

The human laughed. "Glad to hear that, I thought they were not going to know anything about me hehe." _'If she told them something about us… I am in deep shit.'_

The mother shook his hand. "Jeria'Vael Vas Ulnay, great pleasure to meet you Mr. De la Vega."

Luke smiled. "Oh please call me Luke ma'am."

Lia laughed and playfully punched him. "You keep saying that people calling you Mr. makes you feel old!"

The parents chuckled. "It is great to see you became friends with a human. I thought they saw us quarians as beggars and thieves." Sarko said.

"No sir, not all of us. I always wanted to come to the Migrant Fleet…" He trailed off as he watched the other ships through the windows, out in space. "So majestic..."

Sarko smiled. "Only heard another outsider say that, it was Captain Shepard, months ago when he got here to defend Tali'Zorah."

"Well Lia, which ship are you serving on?" Jeria asked happily and changing the subject in the process.

Lia proudly said, "The Moreh."

"That's my girl." Sarko said. "Of course I don't like Daro but she is a well respected member of the fleet."

The quarian girl then shifted nervously. "Well, I will serve in the Moreh, technically."

"Huh?" Sarko was confused. Jeria tilted her head. "What do you mean sweetie?"

"I will serve Captain Shepard, he chose me as part of his crew."

Silence enveloped the room. Luke gulped nervously.

"Shepard? You will serve the great Captain Shepard?" Sarko said excitedly.

'_Phew.' _Lia thought.

"I saw him tearing apart the admiralty board, that man is a genius! He has destroyed hundreds of geth and is on his way to probably save the galaxy yet again!" Sarko was quite happy.

Jeria just hugged Lia. "Promise us you will take care of yourself."

"Of course."

Sarko laughed. "I am so proud of you Lia! You will serve Captain Shepard and Tali'Zorah!"

The family happily talked about it and Luke would join in sometimes, when he was asked something or when Lia talked about him, embarrassing him at times.

An hour passed, with Luke and Lia saying goodbye to her family and on their way out of the Rayya. "I am so happy!" She squeaked like a little girl, making Luke laugh.

"See? Told you Shepard was going to fix everything!" Luke replied amusingly.

She turned her head and saw no one in the hallway. The marine detachment was long gone. She then pounced and hugged him, making him laugh happily.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." She sighed lovingly as she replied. Both then made their way to the airlock, to their new home, the Normandy.

* * *

Long ass chapter! Dang!

Well, I certainly hope you guys liked it.

I always speculate of the possibility of Daro, being a cold hearted bitch, like Miranda at the beginning of ME 2, can suddenly develop a crush on one of the most, in not the most, powerful soldier in the galaxy.

Also, think about how she could benefit from it politically….

Still no one has guessed DLV? You lazy bastards! :D Just Kidding! hahahaha.

Well the three certainly did not make a mess, but that doesn't mean they won't in the future. I assure you that next chapter will have A LOT of action. Can't say what, but a character from fellow fried **JustAFerret** will be there!

Cheers! Don't forget people, review! Tell me what you think!


	20. Chapter 20

**So here you go. Chapter has some funny parts.**

**Thanks for reviewing people. Those who do not, review and tell me what you think! It is not fair if you don't like something, or like it and want it more later on, without me knowing! Don't be shy! Say it in the reviews section!**

**Shout out to my friend DarkDanny, who is back writting! Yeah! Make sure you guys check out his recent story "Steel Skeletons," and his one shot about Shepard's father, they are both amazing.**

**I got inspired to write this chapter by kpop band Big Bang (song is called lollipop 2) and Linkin Park's classic "Somewhere I Belong."**

**Hope you guys like it! Enjoy!  
**

* * *

Chapter 20: Learning of Robotos and Partying with Migrants

"Hey Mindus, you still mad bro?" Luke teased the turian, who was busy looking for porn in the extranet.

"Quiet, this is duly needed with hangovers…." The turian trailed off when he saw a picture of a petite Japanese woman on his omni tool. "and to cure backstabbing wounds…"

Luke rolled his eyes.

"Hey guys, check this out." Kolyat said, holding a datapad with his left hand and a cup of coffee with his right. "Lia told me that her parents wanted to make a ceremony for her today. They invited the whole crew! Shepard agreed guys!"

Both Luke and Mindus turned with wide grins on their faces.

The human turned to the turian. "You thinking what I am thinking mate?"

Mindus grinned. "Of course, I just raided Jack and Zaeed's beer supplies, they will notice the change in a few days, and we can buy them the missing beers on Omega. Garrus has been raided too, the idiot is too damn focused on his jackofflibrations, I mean, calibrations."

The other two laughed heartily. "Shit, thank the gods or whatever it is out there for keeping these canisters. We can now put whatever we want on it, now that we know they work perfectly." Luke commented.

Kolyat chuckled. "I think it's time to show the Migrant Fleet how we bad boys party."

"Hell yes." Both the turian and the human said in unison.

Mindus then got an idea. "Hey, what if we go ask R2D2 about how quarians party? Maybe that way, we could learn to be the lives of the party."

The human snorted. "I don't like that stupid tin can, makes me want to crush it with my biotics."

"Give it a chance, Shepard did for a reason." Kolyat commented.

Luke sighed. "Fine, but one stupid comment and I will leave."

* * *

Legion had been doing an analysis on the crew. It had come to the conclusion that, sex release and alcohol were extremely important for organics to get rid of anxiety and guilt. The geth had been studying Shepard intently, and they were "convinced" that he was the only being capable of leading them into battle.

Of course, the geth had also been analyzing the readings on Daro'Xen. They had concluded that, through the use of hacking of the cameras in the flotilla and EDI, that the admiral had a sexual appeal for the Commander. The geth would have to inform Creator Zorah, as it could bring serious consequences….

Legion's faceplates moved as three organics opened the door, on their way to its location.

"Greetings." Came the monotone voice of the geth unit.

"Uh... Hello." Luke said with a nod.

Silence.

More silence.

"What can this unit do for you?" After minutes of awkward silence, the geth decided to avoid an altercation which would result in violence. Readings on de la Vega – Detective proved that he was tense. His companions were quite nervous according to the readings. They had measured Luke's hostility, and concluded that there was a 77% chance of him attacking.

"Listen… eh…" Luke nudged his nose in an attempt to ease tension on his body. "…tin can…. How do quarians party?"

Mindus and Kolyat focused their eyes on the geth's "eye," waiting for the explanation that will come.

"Specify." The geth unit said.

Luke sighed. "Quarians dude! The people that created you? Ring a bell?"

"You don't need to use sarcasm, we know who created us."

The human huffed. "And I thought you guys wait no, machines were smart, bunch of retards if you ask me."

"We are confused about your hostile attitude towards us, what have we done to you?"

Silence.

Mindus cleared his throat. "What my friend is trying to ask geth is how do quarians make parties? How much do they drink? Do they dance? Sing?"

The geth's faceplates moved. "Creators have a vast amount of ceremonies. They perform dances and music to help people become relaxed during the ceremonies. Creator Lia'Vael will have a similar ceremony, safe that she already has a mate, so she will not need to attract males by dancing. Alert, quarian mating territorial tendencies can increase with alcohol."

Kolyat laughed. "Ring a bell Luke?"

"Shut up." The human huffed.

The turian laughed. "Oh man! It sounds like quarians do know how to party! Turian parties are awful and boring, they only talk about boot camp and shit like that."

Legion tilted its head so as to assume it was curious. "This unit has noticed that Vactus-Detective is more used to be with humans rather than members of his own race."

"You got that right. My blood brother is a human." Mindus said.

Luke smiled. "Something you can't feel geth, something you will never do." He spat venomously.

"No need for sarcasm de la Vega-Detective, we do not…" It was interrupted by Luke, who looked somewhat… mad.

"Oh, no need to be sarcastic? After you killed billions of quarians, women and children too? And then your so called_ fucking_ "race" attacked and killed thousands of humans, what makes you worthy of feeling? You will never do geth, you are a machine and just that."

Silence…. Mindus and Kolyat exchanged nervous glances.

'_Damn it.' _The turian checked his Phalanx pistol, Kolyat was doing the same.

"Why are you so hostile towards us de la Vega-Detective?"

Luke sighed for like the third time. It was like talking to a child, or worse, to a dumbass.

"You almost left an entire species extinct, then you went on to attack others. You made a race suffer and killed millions, no, billions of women and children. No fucking ethics, no remorse, nada, that is why I hope one day you feel, because I will laugh at your pathetic ass, that if you will ever feel."

Silence once again.

"This unit is willing to share certain information on the Morning War for you to better understand us."

Kolyat and Mindus gulped. There were no books or documents left that could tell the reader how the Morning War was fought and how it was lost. Those documents were either destroyed or hidden after the exile of the quarians three centuries ago.

Propaganda from the Citadel Council always said the same thing over and over. The quarians created the geth, the machines rebelled, killed most of their masters and remained hidden from the rest of the galaxy. Blame the quarians, most say, as they created monsters. Now, now there were going to be some answers.

As much as Luke hated the geth, he was… curious. The feeling of rage was replaced with vast amounts of curiosity. However, a feeling of hostility still lingered the air…

"First tell me, why are you willing to talk now, why not peace during the war geth? Why all late? Remorseful much? Wait no, sorry forgot you can't feel." Luke said sarcastically.

Legion's faceplates moved, as if it was thinking. "We geth did try to negotiate, but creators refused to listen. They always attacked when they had numerical superiority and tactical advantage. We assumed they would never be willing to negotiate. After years of failed talks, we simply continued our attacks."

"And what about the children? Don't you know they can't lift a weapon? They wouldn't have killed you retards, why murder them?"

"Every quarian fought in the war."

Silence once again.

"Oh so babies fought too? How? They had extra powers and shit like that? They were superbabies?"

Faceplates shifted. "We understand your hostility, and we…" Hesitation. "we…" eye twitching, "were always regretful of our actions."

Luke's eyes widened. Kolyat and Mindus coughed nervously and glanced at their human friend.

"I would say I hope you rot in hell, but since you don't have souls, well, you can't." Luke replied somewhat mad.

To think, that you could kill women and children. Innocents, billions, killed in cold blood. To understand the geth, to make peace with them…. No one would buy it. Luke certainly wouldn't.

"If a man killed his entire family showing no remorse, and then later on he said he was sorry, why would people believe him? I would put him down like the piece of shit he is." Luke replied to Legion, lots of hostility in his voice.

"It was a wonder they escaped Rannoch man." Kolyat commented. Mindus followed with a "Yeah, at least the Migrant Fleet escaped with a damn point nine percent of what used to be their population… shame on you geth."

"They escaped because we allowed it."

'…_Huh?'_

"Okay, they escaped because they had the balls to, not because you assholes allowed it!" Luke barked.

"We had plans to eradicate their fleet, but stopped as we reached consensus. They are our creators, de la Vega-Detective, we just…. couldn't."

Luke was shocked. "So you are saying you guys let them escape?"

"Yes."

The three shifted uncomfortably. "So…. that is why you have not attacked them in recent times correct?" Luke asked.

"Precisely. We could simply target their liveships, and they would die of starvation, but we have not. Only will if threatened."

It made sense. The Migrant Fleet, as formidable as it looks, would be no match for a full powered fleet of another race, like the Alliance or the turians. Sure, they had a vast amount of ships, but all are… old. Many are from the time when quarians left Rannoch during the Morning War, a true testament of quarian engineering skills, yes, but now… vulnerable.

Geth ships could take on them easily. Goosebumps filled Luke when the geth said "We could simply target their liveships, and they would die of starvation."

Luke had seen that. Although adequately protected, the fleet was still no more than a collection of old spaceships and military vessels. In addition, most ships are civilian, not military. So, defense against pirates and slavers, being the poor and stupid bastards they are, is fine, but against the geth…. No freaking way.

The human felt… dizzy. His mind was processing all the information the geth had told him, and his companions. A glance at his friends showed that they were thinking about what Legion had said. All the years, all the centuries of the Migrant Fleet going from system to system, vulnerable when crossing mass relays, and the geth never attacked. Instead, they stayed and watched. Hell, they studied the quarians, and then later on the humans in their ascension as a powerful race.

'_It can't be.' _They did kill many quarians, but they said they were…. Sorry for it. After all, they call them creators, a title of respect to the race that created them. Even though he hated them, he couldn't bring himself to crush it with his biotics. His hand was now far away from his pistol on his hip. He felt… confused… ashamed but above all… curious.

The geth do not lie. They are machines, they state facts, lying would be inefficient. Luke was getting convinced little by little that he was… wrong. He had been wrong all along in his life. His father and then the family's friend, Kira, had been wrong about them too. All the lessons, all the books he read, everything pointed at the quarians being the idiots who created the geth, and the latter becoming monsters. They did, but then… they showed… remorse.

"This… is… unexpected." Luke stated loudly. Kolyat nodded.

Mindus shifted uncomfortably. "Hey dud.. I mean geth, what happened to all the bodies of the quarians that died in the war?"

Legion tilted its head to the side. "They were given proper burials according to Creator costumes."

The three stared at the geth platform, unable to come up with a retort. It was obvious that the geth felt some kind of… respect, remorse… probably more than that.

Not even the Romans or any other civilization in ancient times had so much respect for their enemies so as to bury them. They ended up grudgingly doing it out of fear of spreading disease but that was it. The geth would never get a disease. Not even humans had so much respect.

If the geth were humans, they would have annihilated the quarians and probably destroyed them, sending their race into the long list of extinct species in the galactic logs. Sad… it was sad how the geth probably always wanted peace, but never had it, and were forced to…. fight back against their creators.

Luke hung his head low. "I'm sorry Legion…"

The geth platform's eye twitched. "No need for apologies de la Vega - Detective, we are satisfied to have made you understand."

"You probably know that not even us humans are so…. merciful after suffering from attempted genocide."

Legion nodded. "Yes, humans have developed powerful empires and kingdoms in their past as a race. Roman Empire, Greek civilization, Carthaginians, Chinese Empire, Mayans, Aztecs to list a few…. civilizations known for being extremely successful at waging war and attempting genocide on their most powerful enemies."

Indeed, the Romans became genocidal on the Carthaginians, Mayans with other cultures that rivaled them and the Aztecs with all rival civilizations around their empire. The Chinese did it amongst themselves, against the Mongols and finally on the Koreans in their past. It was really sad. The Greeks were known to have attempted a full and complete genocide on their barbarian enemies in the north, but failed. Only civilizations out of this group that became hyper powers after were the Romans and the Chinese, the rest did not.

The human nodded. "Tell your race… thank you… if it wasn't for you guys, Lia wouldn't be here."

The geth's eye twitched. "No need de la Vega – Detective, and… does this mean that we are… allies?" Hearing a geth stutter in its speech was something worth a picture, or recording for that matter.

Mindus laughed. "Allies? Nah, we are bros!"

"Hell yes." Kolyat laughed.

"We are… bros." The geth said and extended its hand. Luke shook it firmly. "People, we just got another bad boy." The human said with a smile.

Laughing, Kolyat and Mindus proceeded to extend their hands at the geth platform.

"We look forward to the exchange of data." It said in its classical robotic voice.

The turian nervously looked at his friends. "Does this mean it will have sex with our omni tools?"

* * *

Shepard had been talking to Tali in their cabin for hours now. The visit to the Migrant Fleet had been good for the quarian engineer. Indeed, the old, sour feeling and wound of the trial for treason with Tali had almost healed. Shepard had to tear apart the Admiralty Board, acusing both Gerrel and Koris of being idiotic and ignorant politicians trying to further their agendas at the cost of their greatest citizen.

Tali had never seen Shepard so mad. She had known him to be calm, meticulous and incredibly patient, not to mention incredibly bright, but his harsh words on the admirals proved otherwise. He used both his rage and intelligence to prove her innocence. An overwhelming response came like a biotic shockwave after the trial.

The quarian citizens criticized their government and openly supported Shepard. The Admiralty Board had to openly apologize to Tali, in front of their entire fourteen million - strong population to get the necessary support to keep their jobs, well Gerrel and Koris. Xen did not need anything to do from this action but otherwise proceeded to gain more political power, something Shepard found disturbing.

'_Xen…' _The admiral had become somewhat less cold than usual. It made Shepard wonder what happened to the admiral to act so casual and seemingly better towards him. Tali openly despised her, but Tali's attitude towards her during the meeting was something Shepard found… intriguing. Mindus explained, while wasted, that women became better bitches after getting laid. Everybody laughed at his remark, but the commander still had his doubts on the admiral in question. _'She is planning something, that is for sure…'_

"Shepard?"

Tali's voice interrupted the commander's thoughts. He looked at her with a smile on his face. "Yes babe?"

The quarian giggled. "You seemed to zone off for a second."

"Oh sorry." The commander replied. "What were you saying?"

Tali shook her head. "About Lia's ceremony you dummy! Are we going?"

"Of course." He smirked. "I want to see those gorgeous hips of yours in action."

She blushed beneath her helmet and looked at him thoughtfully.

"What?" Shepard asked.

The quarian then opened her visor and attacked Shepard with such a ferocity that he did not expect. As both were laying down, making out, Shepard's omni tool beeped.

"W-what?" He answered the call, his voice incredibly out of breathe.

"Boss, someone just stole the rest of my beer. I think it was that damn Mindus…." As Garrus continued to speak, Shepard made out with Tali, forgetting about his friend completely. "And its… annoying Shepard, you have to do something about this."

The commander did not even hear anything as his lips sucked on Tali's until he heard a scream. "Hey! You listening to me Shepard?"

Shepard looked at Tali and smirked. "Can it wait for a bit? I am in the middle of some…. Talibrations." He answered.

The voice went silent after that.

* * *

"Okay listen up you retards." Luke began as he paced around the cargo hold. "We must show those quarians that we are the elite of not just combat but also partying." Mindus and Kolyat smirked. "We need to stress the fact that we were called 'The C-Sec Bad Boys' for a reason."

Mindus laughed. "I have everything sir! All of the necessary dextro alcohol to turn that place apart." He gave Luke a mocking salute.

The human then looked at the drell. "You have everything froggie?"

Kolyat smirked. "Hell yes, music and of course, all of the necessary speakers to make it so loud it will break one of the liveships."

While the three continued to talk on the center of the cargo hold, Lia had been watching them. She was kind of worried of what were they planning. She was going to get a big ceremony to congratulate her coming of age and the main people attending would be Shepard, Admiral Xen, Tali and Luke. Of course, knowing her human boyfriend and his two friends, they were surely going to make a mess.

She shook her head and headed to her engineering post, gaining some curt nods from Ken and Gabby, who were lazily working on the latest update that Tali had installed less than a few hours ago. Big thing was that she was absent….

"Excuse me Ken?" Lia said softly.

The human turned to her and smiled. "Yes Lia?"

"Where is Tali?" She asked.

"Oh, from what I've heard, she is getting some action in the cabin." He smirked.

Lia felt heat rush to her cheeks. _'Oh keelah, she can do it often.'_ She had to admit, she was jealous of Tali being able to have a very intimate relationship that could go as far as making love. _'One day… I will get it.'_

* * *

The Rayya was getting ready for a celebration. The captain of the Moreh, Xen herself, refused to have a ceremony on her ship for "scientific purposes." However, she was attending, because she had to and her wild dream will be there…

Tali had talked to Shala of making a celebration in the small park in front of the place where she had been trialed. She wanted the place to be turned into a positive memory. The quarian engineer wondered if the party was going to be any good. Boy did she ask the wrong question….

The three stooges had been pretty calm, something Tali and Shepard found alarming. They had been seen carrying crate and crate to the ship. Nobody knew what they had, but the boxes were placed just in the same place the admirals stood once to judge Tali months earlier.

Garrus and company had been preparing themselves but found out their alcohol supplies had diminished. Kasumi knew what had happened. She giggled loudly when Mindus told her of their plan and accepted to be his date for the ceremony. Jacob was… irritated.

Kolyat had a hard time to ask Jack out for the ceremony in a date. She had refused to go, saying that they were not going to be able to drink. The drell showed her that through the helmet they could, and most certainly would. Less than ten seconds after his explanation, she said yes and to fuck off.

Luke, on the other hand, did not even need to ask. Lia had already said that she needed him close during the entire ceremony. She was going to say that he was her best friend, but knew they were not going to believe it, so Luke had a "Plan B" for that. He called it "Operation QD."

Shepard had been talking to Mordin, who accepted to go in the condition that he will have his omni tool out and learning of quarian costumes and watch out for any health problems. Project X was said to be going on its way…

Quarian ceremonies were something to be reckoned with. The three stooges, along with the Normandy crew, found out how quarian people were eager to talk to them about whichever topic came to the conversation. Luckily, Luke and company were amongst themselves, along with Lia, talking about past adventures and jokes.

"Alright, let us go with racist jokes." Mindus stated out loud. He and Luke had been drinking heavily, and were already past the "buzzed line" as they had called it. Kasumi was also close talking to Tali and Lia.

"Bring them on dude." Kolyat laughed as he poured himself more beer.

The turian smirked. "Okay, let us start with… salarians." Luke and Kolyat smirked. "If you want a problem from another problem… talk to a salarian!"

Laughing rocked the ground where they were standing, close to the platform where the admirals once stood all those months ago.

Luke then smirked. "If you want your problem to be shot, ask a turian!"

Kolyat got in. "If you want a problem to be sold at the highest price, ask a volus!"

"If you want a problem talked to death, ask an asari!" Kasumi stated out loud, making the men laugh and both Tali and Lia giggle.

"If you want a problem memorized, ask a drell!" Mindus was having a good time now.

"If you want your problem enslaved ask a batarian!" Luke said. Everyone around laughed as they continued talking.

Shepard and the others, including Garrus, Kal, Jacob, Thane and Zaeed had made a circle, talking about past battles and decisive moments in their lives. Lia's parents had been busy talking to Shepard about details of their mission. He had been really…. reluctant at answering some of their questions, particularly about Tali.

Xen had been alone, as usual, staring at Shepard. Tali could not help but clench her fists at times.

As Luke got another beer from one of the boxes, a quarian approached him.

"Mr. De la Vega?" She said softly.

The human groaned. "Aw come on, do I look THAT old?" He said while laughing. "Call me Luke lady, all I am asking."

She giggled. "I met you before remember? When you boarded the ship for the first time?"

He nodded. "Oh yeah, marine right?"

"Yes, I was one of the marines." She said happily. "My name is Mara'Delio Vas Rayya."

Luke extended his hand, which she shook it. "Nice to meet you Mara, how is the party?"

"Good." She said softly. "Never seen so many species in one place, particularly in the fleet."

He laughed. "Hah! I know, it is all thanks to the man right there." He pointed at Shepard. "That we got this party."

While he talked with the female quarian, Lia growled from where she was standing, less than ten yards from Luke and Mara, extremely angry at the quarian's flirtatious behavior. Tali laughed.

"What is it Lia? Not good that your mate is talking to another female?" She teased.

Lia growled. "How would you feel if your Shepard was talking to a good looking female? Like Xen eh?"

The chief engineer stopped talking after that, huffing in the process.

Between Lia's glares at the female talking to her boyfriend, Tali's anger at Xen and the party becoming loud, Mindus began distributing dextro beer for quarians, explaining that it was safe and rated "fine" by genius Mordin Solus. More than three quarters of the quarians attending were drinking from the fleets own supplies and Garrus' box, much to the elite sniper's annoyance.

Xen began to talk to Shepard about the salvaging operation while the rest of the Normandy crew talked amok amongst themselves or with other quarians. Zaeed in particular had attracted the interest of the Migrant Fleet marines, talking of his past adventures and how they kicked the Collector's ass pretty bad.

"Tell me Shepard, are you mating with Tali'Zorah?" Xen asked bluntly.

Shepard gulped and the alcohol in his system seemed to have evaporated. "She is my girlfriend, yes." He had to say it.

The commander noticed Xen shifting her feet, a clear sign of annoyance. Tali had taught him some lessons of quarian body language, make him better prepared when talking to the admirals or conclave.

"I see." She said, with a hint of… annoyance? The Lion of Elysium could not tell.

Shepard began stealing some glances at Tali, who responded kindly to get him out of a bad situation, full of awkwardness.

Lia approached Luke and Mara, who had been talking for about ten minutes.

"Hey Luke." She then possessively stood close to him. "Who's she?" She gestured at the quarian in front of them with a nod.

"Oh Lia, this is Mara, a marine! I always wanted to meet a female marine from your military forces. She's cool! Mara, this is Lia, my…. friend." He said with a smile, though they could not see it with his helmet on.

Mara extended her hand. "Good to meet you Lia, congratulations on your completion of your pilgrimage."

Lia stared at her hand for a second then took it. "Thanks…" There was a bit of anger in her words. "Luke, when are we going to dance?" She asked.

Mara frowned. "Luke, could you take me to dance later on?"

Although a timid woman and shy quarian, Lia was close to punching the marine. Luke, like always, being the dense idiot, did not notice either Mara's flirting or Lia's fiery attitude. In addition, he was already pretty wasted.

"Ah sure, I will dance with you girls later on." He said while rubbing his neck with his hand, clear sign of nervousness.

Someone then came from behind Luke, grabbed his shoulder and whispered. "Time for Operation QD."

Luke nodded at Mindus, excused himself with a "Sorry be right back," and left the girls, who were now glaring at each other. Awkwardness and a feeling of anger filled the air between the two, who were to the right of the plaza, while most people where in the middle laughing and drinking.

"He's mine." Lia said fiercely.

Mara laughed. "Careful girl, you are getting personal."

Lia shook her head and hissed. "You touch him and I will toss you out through the nearest airlock." She then left. Mara just stood there with a smirk. _'We shall see…'_

* * *

Luke glanced at Mindus, who nodded. Kolyat did the same. It was time.

The three made their way to the platform in the middle of the whole plaza and opened some of the boxes, getting out giant speakers out. Each speaker, about a meter high and a meter wide, were then positioned strategically in the middle and corners of the platform. Some of the quarians who were sober enough noticed and began to eye them up in curiosity.

"Did you give Raan and Lia's parents enough beer?" Luke asked Mindus. The turian nodded and gave him an awkward looking thumps up.

Luke got up and said loudly. "People! Listen up!"

Most did not even hear him, so they continued talking amongst themselves. Luke sighed and nodded at Mindus, who agreed with a chuckle.

Suddenly, a loud guitar solo was heard, making all people look at the platform. Mindus then muted the music and waited.

"Alright listen up people. First of all thanks to our awesome admirals, Xen and Raan, for letting us party tonight!" Cheers were heard from some. Raan bowed her head with a smile on her face. Xen simply nodded, too pissed and bored to even do anything more than that.

"Okay, second, congratulations Lia! You made it! You are now a woman! We are all so proud of you!" He pointed at her, as she was in the middle of the party, blushing and laughing nervously at the many stares she was getting.

"Now…" Luke began as he gestured to his friends in the back. "Me and my pals have planned to have a good party, so we are now introducing quarian society something that has been a classic for centuries to us humans…." He then looked at people. "Legit music. Enjoy!"

As soon as he finished, beats were heard, loud beats. Mindus and Kolyat laughed as some of the quarians began dancing close to their mates. The Normandy crew followed, and so, in a matter of seconds, everyone was dancing to an electronic/techno song.

The park was now full of couples dancing happily. Shepard and Tali danced closely, away from Raan though, who was busy talking to some other quarians. Xen sighed in annoyance at Jacob's repeated drunken offers to dance. She flatly refused him and kept staring at Shepard.

Jack had dragged Kolyat to the dance floor and they were now dancing closely, with Thane chuckling at his son.

Kelly stared at Kal with a smile on her face, who was talking to Zaeed about some "Jessie."

Kasumi and Mindus danced clumsily, as they were both extremely drunk. The turian clashed with a quarian, apologizing with a slurred "Sorry lady." The quarian, who was a man, grumbled, saying "I am a guy bosh'tet."

Luke and Lia danced really close at the song. Lia would sway her hips at Luke's waist, tempting him to go further. He grabbed her by the waist, drunk enough to not care about stares, and simply went along.

Of course, someone had to ruin the moment….

"I think it's time for my dance Luke." Someone said at his back.

He turned and saw Mara, with her yellow suit, giving him an eye scan, making him shiver. Lia, however, grabbed his waist possessively and continued.

Mara glared at her and took a step towards Luke. "Let him dance with me Lia."

"Back off whore." She replied harshly.

Luke gulped.

"What did you say?" Mara was stunned.

"You heard me." Lia said as she embraced Luke into a big hug, a smile on her face. "He is mine bosh'tet."

The quarian marine slapped her hands from the human's shoulders and defiantly said, "He will choose whoever he wants!"

"Don't you dare touch him bosh'tet!" Lia shouted, making some turn their heads towards them.

Mara then pushed Lia. "And what are you going to do girl? You will fight me?"

Lia growled and punched her in the stomach, sending her to the ground. By now, everyone was staring at them, ignoring the music. Luke tried to shield Lia away. "Lia, what are you doing?"

Mara got up and charged at Lia. The latter kicked her in the head, sending the marine backwards.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!" Raan shouted as she approached, along with Shepard and Tali. Sarko and Jeria were already there, looking at their daughter, confused. Raan glared at Shepard, who was now holding hands with Tali. Both nervously laughed.

Luke glared at Mindus. "I told you to give them a lot of beer deuce!"

Both Raan and Lia's parents stared at him with confusion on their faces.

"She is trying to take my mate." Lia growled. Mara continued to look at her defiantly, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"WHAT!" Sarko shouted. Luke gulped once again and blushed, alcohol suddenly leaving his system.

"Uh oh, shit." Mindus said.

* * *

**Deep trouble eh? XD**

**Promised you a party, here it is.**

**Yeah DLV, if no one guesses it, I will tell you guys next chapter.**

***Sigh* Hint: Look at some of the characters last names geez!**

**Okay so our people have gotten into trouble eh? This is getting tense!**

**Also, tell me which joke made you laugh the most!**

**Random: Leave your favorite song in the reviews section!**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: In Laws

Silence endured the little garden place. The trio of misfits were now together, bracing themselves for a full scale attack. Lia was close to Luke, huffing and keeping her hand on his hip, marking her territory from the Migrant Fleet Marine, Mara.

Tali and Shepard laughed somewhat nervously while staring at the pissed off admiral and soon to be executioner.

On the other hand, Xen was smiling beneath her helmet. This... interesting situation was not planned out but it would reap a lot of benefits to her. The fact that Raan could tear their relationship apart would play a key role in her sudden offensive for the most sought after man in the galaxy.

As the awkward silence continued to plague the scene, Xen thought carefully of her plan. Shepard, former N7 Commando, extremely skilled warrior and military genius, could be on her hands after all. That would bring her the necessary political push to rule behind the scenes and get her agenda on the top of the list. With the geth slayer at her side, nothing and no one could stand in her way. The quarians would support her, possible Cerberus or Alliance help could be arranged in case of war with the geth. Protection would be needed in case of taking control of the majority of the geth… her prime objective.

Of course, there were… other thoughts, intentions to be exact. She had seen how humans were eerily similar to quarians, sexual dimorphism being why humans were top of the list for some quarians looking for good looking models on the extranet. She was… obsessed with the Commander. He was an intriguing man… mysterious and highly… attractive. Very muscular, powerful blue eyes and this strength of character no one could match.

It was during the trial for Tali's innocence that she saw in him the perfect husband, mate. Loyal, relentless, intelligent, ferocious and skilled in a variety of fields, among those including leadership, weapons, strategy and administration, as his major in the academy had been Industrial Management, getting straight As. She was happy about hacking into the Alliance records to see how Shepard did, and it was not surprising.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sarko all but shouted as Luke nervously eyed his friends for help, but the turian and drell were beyond drunk to help in any way. _'Fuck me twice.'_

Raan growled and approached Shepard slowly. "You! What do you think you are doing?"

"What?" Shepard said, clearly trying to skip around the subject.

"Ah, just why is everyone making a deal out of this?" Mindus asked, annoyed. Everyone turned to look at the drunken turian. "My uncle married a human just after the Relay 314 Incident, and THAT is fucked up!"

Silence….

The humans in the room, except for Luke who was keeping his guard from Lia's father, eyed Mindus and some snorted. Truly, something like this can't be shared, around large crowds. Garrus laughed though, awkwardly since everyone was too pissed, confused or drunk to understand.

The fiery admiral spoke once again, this time with more power in her voice. "Listen to me Shepard, just what in Keelah's name do you think you are doing by having this…. special relationship with Tali?"

He shrugged. "What? Special? Is she handicapped?" Joking on matters such as these was not the right choice in the matter.

BAM!

A slap, and his body rocked with such a force that he got dizzy for a couple of seconds. The admiral had a good hand, he gave her that. Instead of responding, he stayed silent, but the slap did not go unnoticed…

"Hey, hey! We've been dating for a couple of weeks, that is it! What is the fuzz?" Luke asked Lia's parents.

Sarko shook his head. "Human, you don't understand, she chose you for a reason, and yet you are taking this as just a relationship? Do you even love her?"

'_Shit…'_

To lie or not to lie, that is the question, no, the big dilemma. "Yes…"

'_Am I lying? Fuck it, I am too drunk anyway, excuse for tomorrow.'_

Lia heard him and huffed her chest towards Mara. "You hear that? He is with me, not you, so get out of here."

The marine snorted and left, somewhat fast, much to Luke's amusement. _'Love or not, I absolutely adore how territorial she gets.'_

"Look human, there is a reason she has to marry to one of her species, to have children, she can't have those with you!"

Luke had enough. "Who the hell talked about marriage? I said DATING, Jesus Fucking Christ!"

Shouting in front of the home crowd was something that required balls, yes, but also meant that they had all the excuses to get his sorry ass and toss it out.

Sarko stood quiet now and shook his head for like the fourth time. His wife was just silent, but nevertheless strangely just looking at Lia.

For Shepard, things were barely getting interesting….

"Don't you dare put a hand on him again!" To get Tali pissed, you would get an amazing trophy for testing her patience, which Raan did in an epic way.

Raan growled. "Quiet child!"

The quarian crowd had been watching all along, but no one dared to make a move. Some were hesitant to act in favor of quarian race and law. Others did not give a shit as long as the booze did not run out. The ones in favor were too drunk to say something…. Tough luck.

"You will do as I say, and this is too dangerous for you!" The admiral fought back.

Tali stood her ground, eerily close to Shepard. "I am no child! He is with me, so beat it!"

Dang….

"Listened to Michael Jackson I see? Legit work Shepard." An awkward Jacob added while smiling at Xen, making her move to another place.

The commander put a hand in the air, as if asking for permission to speak. "Admiral, maybe we should talk about this… in private?"

As much as she hated him right now, Raan knew he was right. With just a hand gesture, both Tali and the commander followed him like puppies, and then disappeared in the hallways.

Lia then stood close to his boyfriend and said, "I think we should do that too…"

Sarko nodded and the whole family, with the addition of Luke, walked in awkward silence to a room close to the garden.

As the silence went on, a voice broke it. "So who can fix my omni tool? I think I got a virus while looking for some hips…"

Kolyat shook his head as Mindus got even more of a cold reception by the quarians around them. One of the females laughed though…

* * *

One thing Shepard always liked about quarians was their fierce overprotective traits when dealing with loved ones. Of course, now he looked at this differently, with probably the most powerful admiral clearly pissed at him and disappointed at her adopted daughter. He did not blame himself though, they chose this, and went on with it, and the consequences were finally here. _'I wonder what my parents will say about my relationship with Tali now….'_

His thoughts were interrupted as Raan ranted, pacing around the room.

"You humans don't know of our limitations! You are selfish! All of you! Don't you know you can kill her just by sharing your mouth with hers? Of course you don't, you think by helping us in every way I will approve of this? No way in hell!"

"I don't care about what you think Shala, but he is with me." Tali said defiantly.

Shepard smiled beneath his helmet. "Look Shala, I understand what is going through your head, and I have something with me for your to stop ranting about this."

The human then let go of Tali's hand, moved his omni tool up and down and silently laughed. "I just sent you a document of what we have for this… kind of scenarios. We are already having success."

Raan huffed her chest and looked at her omni tool, her eyes scanning every single word. Within ten seconds, her eyes widened. She looked at Shepard, whose hand was now once again circling Tali's waist, then back at the omni tool.

"T...T…This is true?"

Shepard nodded. "Yes Shala, it is."

The admiral sighed and duly sat on a small chair behind her. "I am sorry, but she is like a child of mine… I.. I was born sterile Commander, and when her mother died, I was the only one there for her. That is why I got so worked up."

Tali gasped when she heard the word sterile. It made sense now. Raan had no children, and no mate. Still, instead of being a cold hearted woman, she was a warm and caring one for that matter, strange indeed.

"I know Shala, I know." Shepard said, happily. He then walked slowly and, standing in front of Raan, put one arm on her shoulder. "It is an honor to help your race. Do you approve of us then? Do we have your blessing?" He added playfully.

She laughed. "Of course you do, but that doesn't mean I will go too light on you both!"

Laughing could be heard echoing in the room.

* * *

Shit… in laws were such a bitch. In every single culture and race, no matter which planet or system, hell even galaxies maybe, in laws were the same. Either they rant about how much suck to date their offspring or simply lecture on how you are not "good enough." Luke had no experience in that, since most of his relationships were incredibly short, or like Mindus liked to put it, "Girls, in order to relieve stress, press LUKE on your phone. No hard feelings or serious relationships after."

Luke tried to laugh while remembering that but could not. This situation was getting very tense. He was drunk and tired along the way. He did not want to snap or simply walk away but… they were really tempting choices.

"First of all, human…" Sarko began, "do you know about our immune systems?"

The human in question sighed inwardly. "Yes, I do."

"Then why are you having this… affair with my daughter?"

Lia screamed. "FATHER!"

The mother shook her head. "Darling, please…" She begged her husband.

"Because I want to." Luke simply stated.

The old quarian marine was close to lose it but then thought of using words instead of punches to punish the ignorant human.

"I read about you de la Vega." He said with disdain in his voice. "Read about your actions and your past in the military, what you did on Truba. No honor, no emotion, nothing. In my books, you are a monster that can't be involved with my daughter. I only let it go because you were her friend, but now… with this… no, a monster can't be involved with my daughter."

When he said the word monster, Lia felt enraged. Her boyfriend was not at fault for the situation he went through. She was so mad at her dad, but when she was about to give him a piece of her mind, Luke's cold voice silenced her.

"Tell me sir, have you ever seen women get raped en masse?" The question lingered in the air for a few seconds before the human continued. "Have you seen your best friend's eyes slowly getting devoid of life? Or children bleeding to death, dying in your arms?"

Sarko just looked at him, not being able to come up with a retort. _'That… was not in the article…'_

"Better yet," the human began sarcastically, "have you ever seen the fetuses of women cut out of their wombs with a damn knife? Ever smelled burning flesh? Or seen countless bodies scattered around, as small as a baby? You know that babies are useless to batarians since they can't be implanted a chip right?"

The other quarian female in the room listened intently while her daughter just stood there dumbfounded. Most of the things Luke was saying were not discussed or even slightly mentioned in the article she read about him, except for the rapes. Still, this was getting very tense and incredibly sad... Her father was already looking at the floor.

"No you have not. You just sit on your ass here, on this very fleet training new soldiers to serve their people, yet you don't go out to battle. I have seen that and many things I won't talk about because it does not add purpose in this conversation." The human then laughed bitterly. "I have the utmost respect for you sir, but don't you ever dare to judge me for who I am, ever." He finished coldly.

In the blink of an eye, the human turned around, activated the door and walked away, his body rigid of the rage that flowed through his veins.

"You have a big mouth Sarko." The wife said. "Many times I've told you to not judge people when you don't know anything about them."

Sarko turned to Lia and was about to say something when she just put a hand. "Save your excuses for him, I am leaving." She turned and left the room, walking fast, probably on her way to see her boyfriend.

"Honestly, I did not know about that…" The marine shook his head and hanged his head in shame.

The wife just shook her head. "Now you do."

He just sighed and sat on the floor. He felt really bad about the recent turn of events, and making his daughter upset. "Tomorrow we shall see him again."

* * *

The garden party slowly began to gain rhythm thanks to the great efforts of Mindus and Kolyat spreading more alcohol around, but not before some apologies came out from the turian's mouth.

There was no more dancing but at least, the tension felt a little less than minutes earlier. Mordin just went around, checking quarians and members of his crew alike, muttering some unintelligible words of approval or disapproval. It was amusing to see the salarian so busy, still working in a party, but what could you expect from a hard working genius….

"Luke has been in that room for over thirty minutes now, you think he is in trouble?" Mindus asked his drell friend.

Kolyat shook his head. "His business, not ours, we should just make these quarians happy before they mount a Morning War on us because of your antics."

"Shepard and Tali already got out, and the admiral looks happy, the commander must have done a great job in that room…" Mindus was having these thoughts, probably due to the great amount of alcohol in his system and the hips on the net.

Zaeed still had his marine fans around, hearing his countless stories about breaking someone's neck or kicking the ass of a batarian so hard his eyes got out of his face. Of course, every little detail was true, since his records say so. The quarian soldiers were asking questions constantly, they went from what was his favorite type of knife to what his skills were in close combat.

The other crewmates were still around, talking to other quarians or amongst themselves but wary of their surroundings.

Admiral Xen was sitting on the benches, talking to another quarian, in a red suit…

"Tell me Kal, you know Tali'Zorah personally, since when did she had a… thing for Shepard?"

The marine's eyes looked at her suspiciously. "Why do you ask admiral?"

Xen sighed. "Because it created this mess…" she pointed at the tensions between the Normandy crew and the still sane quarians, as the majority were drunk enough to not care, "tell me."

"Since she returned from her pilgrimage, all I know to be honest. She always talked about him but got sad right after, since he was dead."

Another reason she found him incredibly interesting. He was raised from the dead. His body had cybernetic implants that made him very strong. Adding to that his biotic levels were off the charts for a normal human. He had a very intelligent mind too. The fact that Commander Shepard was still here, after he died, was something that made Xen… feel amazed, even proud of meeting him personally.

"I see…" Her tone was… furious perhaps?

"Yeah." He was desperate for a way out.

Awkward….

"Yo Kal!" Someone from the crowd shouted. "Come here dude, we need more beer!"

That was Garrus, he was still mad about his supplies dwindling due to the quarian livers all around him. He was a messiah for Kal now, getting him out of an awkward conversation with the craziest quarian alive. Still, he had to report this to Tali as soon as possible, the admiral was behaving really strange.

"If you excuse me admiral, but I must go."

She nodded and looked at Shepard, talking to Raan. As usual, the whore of Tali was very close to him.

Xen just sighed. "I will get this over with soon, very soon." She then left quietly, no one noticing that the strange and awkward admiral had left the party.

* * *

He was mad, no, he was pissed. How dare that man judge him? How dare he try to ridicule him in front of his girlfriend?

Luke was mad at himself mostly though. He snapped in front of Lia's family. He was reckless and stupid, acting like a little child, giving a tantrum, and then walking away, which made things worse. A damn coward, he felt like that.

The human was leaning on a wall, looking at a window, very close to the exit to the Normandy. He had done the impossible… pass by unnoticed by his friends. They were too drunk anyway, he would have had to be very close for them to notice. The stars looked beautiful…

His actions at Truba still troubled him to this day. If it wasn't for Mindus' antics, Kolyat's loyalty and Lia's support, he would be dead by now, or worse, insane, locked in an asylum like how some of his friends ended up.

As he continued to stare at the distant starts, a pair of arms enveloped him by the waist, surprising him. His body shook lightly at the surprising arms but calmed as they massaged his chest.

"I am sorry, so sorry Luke." That voice belonged to none other than Lia.

He could not help but smiled beneath his helmet. "Not your fault honey."

The quarian smiled at the new pet name, very sweet in her opinion.

"I still owe you an apology because I got you into this mess and…" She was interrupted by Luke's hand on her mouthpiece.

"Will you stop being so selfless for a second?" He asked with a playful tone. "I don't hate your parents, you are too special for me to fall that low. I will always be here okay?"

She giggled quietly and embraced him warmly. "I think we should go report to your lunatic friends."

Luke laughed out loud. "Yes, let us go see what those retards are doing."

* * *

"I am telling you, I was only joking!" Certainly, Mindus' little antics about quarians had made some in the garden a little…. unstable. Those not drunk enough and that actually listened were already glaring at him.

"I told you not to start rambling about stereotypical jokes, especially about quarians since, well, we are in… THE MIGRANT FLEET YOU RETARD!" Kolyat was so pissed parts of his suit were probably melting.

Both were getting in a heated discussion when both Luke and Lia arrived. "Sup bitches."

The drell and the turian looked at the couple, hugging each other, earning some glares from the non drink zone of the quarians.

In a few seconds, the group began talking about the night and how Luke's meeting went. Lia's parents were not seen after their daughter left them in the room. According to Mindus, Shepard was doing sexual favors for Raan in exchange of keeping Tali. Kolyat slapped him and explained that their turian friend's version was bullshit.

After half an hour, most quarians retreated to their respective dorms, but the mad quarian mob was still there, in a small group glaring at the Normandy crew. It was time for Super Mindus for his incredible antics to start. Very good time and stress release for Luke, though he would have to make sure Tali and Lia were far away from them.

As they were leaving, Mindus and Luke stayed behind to snatch some beers left. In truth, they were going to troll around…. They had been wanting to do this since they got into the fleet, even though they had the utmost respect for quarians… sure.

"Ready?" Mindus asked with a smile on his voice.

Luke laughed and nodded. "Armed and ready to troll sir!"

Both laughed and looked at the quarian mob, eyeing them up. Over three quarters of the quarians were drunk and left, and those were laughing and cheering sometimes, so they were no problem whatsoever. These, however, were the ones that had always mantained their distance and now were behaving like Inquisition Authorities, much to Luke's amusement.

"Hey guys!" Mindus shouted, getting all of their attention.

The human then waved his hand. "Thank you for coming into our little gathering! It was nice having you guys here." Some of the quarians were now talking amongst each other.

Mindus then laughed and nodded. "Yeah!" The duo then prepared to leave, moving faster towards the door. "Hopefully we, being the greatest outsiders of all time, will make a party at the closest shelter in your honor!"

"And remember that the engines must be fixed!" Luke added as they laughed while most quarians screamed in fury.

"I LOVE TROLLING THESE GUYS!" Mindus shouted as he headed for the dock. Luke only laughed right behind his best friend.

* * *

**Sorry for the delay guys but college is being an ass on me. I barely have time to read, much less write but finally found some in my schedule.**

**It is short, yes, but all round good. Jack of all trades chapter for y'all.**

**As always, a pleasure to write for you. Don't forget, review! Tell me what you guys think!**


	22. Chapter 22

**After so many chapters with jokes and drinking, here you go guys, a chapter full of action. Sorry for the delay, just wanted you guys to have a great chapter for you to enjoy.**

**The OC used here belongs to my good friend JustAFerret, all credit to him for creating the biotic quarian. Hope you guys like it!**

**Onward!**

* * *

Chapter 22: Waking the Beast

Shepard groaned, getting up from bed and being wary of Tali, who was soundly asleep. She was going to get a big, big hangover, and it will be nasty… for a few hours. Well, nasty until the clock hits the four hours. The human grinned at his dark thoughts… He was already planning positions, lubricants, which side of bed to use, or maybe the ground? _'Hell no, this time in the shower… it will freak-'_

"Commander, you have a message from Admiral Shala Raan." The AI said, almost quietly. Shepard grinned. _'Oh now she is respecting Tali? Well this is getting good.'_

"What did she say?" He kind of wondered what the admiral wanted now. They had fixed their differences but he was not ruling out another showdown with the fiery middle aged overprotective quarian.

"Only that she was expecting your crewmate in the near future for the talks."

He smiled and nodded. "Thanks EDI."

"Logging you out Shepard."

The human gave out a soft sigh and went back to bed, looking at the ceiling, relaxed. Their next stop was Omega, get some refueling duly needed for the Normandy and also some supplies the turian crewmates were begging for.

"John?" _'Shit…'_

He gritted his teeth and got out of bed. "Eh… sorry precious but I got to go clean up some… things in the cargo hold…" Shepard was a very brave man, hell he was the bravest being in the galaxy, but a quarian with a hangover… Tali… was even more dangerous than Sovereign and all of its damn reapers combined…

She growled. "Why are you leaving me here alone John Shepard?"

By the time she finished the sentence, he was already out of their cabin, on his way to wherever was far away from the beast.

* * *

Hangovers, the most unpleasant feeling… after a great time and an awful lot of alcohol, well it gets to you.

"Shit I hate hangovers man…" Mindus began… "It just reminds you that the party is over… and it gives you a headache as a big _karsug_, fuck you or whatever to you."

Luke and Lia were still sleeping, cuddling closely in their bed. Kolyat was already up, getting coffee, and coughing like an old man.

The drell shook his head. "I had too many cigarettes yesterday after the party."

Mindus laughed. "Welcome to the club! You will get used to them in time, surely."

After that, the turian began reading an article while sipping some coffee at his right side. He was sitting, his feet over the big mess table, and a huge smirk on his face. The article was pretty interesting…

"Courting Humans For Dummies… through Alcohol. Shit man, this is pure genius."

Kolyat sighed. "Shut up, trying to make some fried eggs here!"

"Eodas!" The turian said with a smirk.

His friend laughed, "Call me a moron again and I will cut your balls off and give them to Grunt as a Shirferi gift."

"You are so lame you steal jokes from Shepard. Don't care about your damn festivities." Mindus replied with a playful voice.

"Be quiet." The drell was already laughing by the time he finished his sentence.

After the party in the Migrant Fleet, Admiral Han contacted Shepard claiming two of his crew members were seen taunting a crowd of quarians in the ship. They left before the marines got there. The commander already knew who they were. Shaking his head, he just replied that he would take care of it, not that he was going to do it. Those quarians had been pretty hostile to the group, so to hell with them.

Garrus got so drunk that he was hitting on quarian females mercilessly, earning quite a bit of slaps, curses and even the few kicks in the groin. The fact that Mindus heard about Kal having the secret weapon to fully denigrate the legendary turian sniper was another thing…

Speaking of the devil, Kal'Reegar, the "Quarian Terminator" as Luke had put the nickname, was settling pretty well into the crew. He was constantly talking to Shepard and Garrus, and then Zaeed from time to time. Luke and friends also talked to him a bit in the party, but a joke from Mindus scared him away, probably in anger.

"Hey Kolyat, remember my joke with Kal?" The turian asked with a big laugh, earning some stares from the crewmates barely waking up.

The drell smiled. "Yeah, it was pretty funny."

Mindus nodded and looked at the ceiling. "Ah how many quarians do you need to fix a machine at your house? None because they will be deported before they get there hah!"

Some laughter and chuckles filled the air as the joke got out.

"Hey I have a better one." Kolyat said, sitting down with his food and looking at the other men and women, who were already waiting for his joke.

"You know why you can't have quarians fixing your shit?" He asked everyone.

"Because… they will get deported?" Mindus answered, getting a shake of heads from the drell.

Hawthorne laughed and said, "Easy, because they will steal it!"

Another shake of heads, and everyone was now silently thinking it over.

"You guys give up?" The drell asked.

Getting some nods and even smiles from the crew, he began, "It is basic guys, if you get a quarian to fix your… say screen, omni tool or hell, your computer, then you will have….." He laughed as the people around him groaned, vying for the answer. "A NEW MACHINE UPRISING! Geth it?"

Hawthorne fell on the floor laughing while Mindus was grabbing Ensign Johnson for support as he doubled back and almost fell from his chair laughing his ass off.

"Quite the example you guys are putting for quarians." A voice shook the core out of everyone, silencing all people in the mess hall.

The duo gulped and turned to see the heir to the throne of hell, the devils right hand woman and probably the queen of the damned… yes… when she had a hangover. All in all, everyone was already dispersing or quickly going to the restroom to avoid an incident that may well finish with them dead.

"Eh… Hi! How are you Tali? Yesterdays party was amazing huh? Yes, yes it was awesome! You quarians do know how to party." Mindus was severely afraid of what would the quarian do next.

She growled and slowly began to make her way into the table.

"Shit…" Kolyat whispered as he contemplated calling Jack to get some back up. He turned to look at Mindus, who was already using his omni tool, probably calling Kasumi…

* * *

Shouting… someone was shouting and he was having the best sleep in many months. He grunted and sat up, watching Lia's hand on his waist slowly falling into his pimp area. He smiled and took her hand away, looking around, looking if they were alone or not. They were.

Nodding to himself, he nudged the quarian, before stopping and remembering she only drank a turian beer. He sighed in relief and nudged her arm again. She muttered something in khelish and got up, her glowing eyes immediately set on her human. "Hey Luke."

"Hey beautiful, how was the hibernation?" He asked with a smile.

She blushed. "Like you humans say… cool?"

Luke laughed hard. "Learning English I see? Thought you would never…"

"I pay attention every single time you speak, thank you very much." She said and playfully slapped him. "I am hungry…"

His eyes widened. "I know you really like me but I am no food you know?"

"I would eat you alive if it wasn't for this suit…."

'_Awwww….' _He smiled warmly and kissed her helmet. "You are my most delicious appetizer then!"

She giggled while he laughed.

"Battlemaster, I've seen you kill mercs, collectors and a big colossus, but never so afraid of your mate!" Grunt laughed at the expense of Shepard, who was fixing the engines of the M-44 Hammerhead.

The commander sighed while getting some tools. "You will see kid, when you get a girl, she will be your best friend and worst enemy, all at the same time."

Gunt huffed. "I am not afraid of women."

"Heh, well you will know in due time, expect it as a lesson from your battlemaster."

The krogan laughed. Tali'Zorah Vas Normandy, the humble quarian engineer and selfless girl, was now the one controlling the most powerful soldier in the galaxy. It was amusing to Grunt, but even he saw a couple of times how scary she could be, especially with that shotgun of hers.

In the air, there was something… Grunt smelled it a couple of times, then grinned and looked at his battlemaster and… somewhat of a father.

"I think she wants to mate with you at this very moment." He said loudly, making some construction workers turn at them.

Shepard turned his head. "Come again?"

"I smell her pheromones, she is aching for you." As soon as he finished, he turned and left, leaving a very confused Shepard and some of the construction workers snickering amongst each other. The commander felt his cheeks get a little hot, so he just turned and resumed his work, cursing silently at his… adopted son.

* * *

"Stand down Tali, that is quite enough!" Garrus screamed as the fiery quarian was about to beat both Mindus and Kolyat, their backs on the infirmary door.

She turned, her eyes narrowed. "You shut up! Go back to your damn hole and calibrate! Yes calibrate, and make sure you ask the cannons out on a date!"

The turian just stood there while Mindus chuckled. "Bitch or not, she sure knows how to insult people."

"You shut up! Racist! Ignorant! All of you!"

Everything got quiet. People were looking at each other. Kasumi was trying to back Tali off, but it was to no avail. Mindus and Kolyat were nervously planning to just step into the medbay and ask Doctor Chakwas for asylum.

Suddenly, a monotone voice was heard. "We have been given the task to escort Creator Tali'Zorah to the Captain's quarters."

Heads turned, they all saw Legion standing by the medbay door, its eye twitching, moving, as it observed Tali.

"Robocop comes to save the day… nice." Kolyat said sarcastically.

Legion just went up to Tali and said, "Shepard-Commander has ordered us to escort you to his quarters."

She growled. "Stay away from me geth! Go and hack into EDI!"

Standing there, Legion just grabbed her, putting the fiery woman on its shoulders and starting walking to the elevator, her hands and legs kicking the geth platform, not even moving it.

"Kudos to R2D2, badass robot." Mindus smirked and sighed in relief while Kasumi giggled.

Kolyat smiled and started walking to the table, not before Jack got there and said, "Hey frog, what was all that about?"

"Tali, hangover, hell itself." He replied.

She chuckled.

Jack then hungrily scanned him. "I think I need to get high today."

The drell gulped, and then he was taken away by the small human woman, everyone smiling at Kolyat's expense.

* * *

Omega, the biggest pisshole and all round piece of crap. The scum and garbage of all corners in the galaxy always ended up here. Shepard had ordered a refit of the Normandy's systems and for the tech crew to go buy some duly needed supplies. Tali was locked inside his cabin, probably tearing everything apart, but better than having her on the loose.

After a few hours, Shepard had Luke escort Lia to buy some supplies while he and Garrus were going to have a talk with the powerful leader of Omega, Aria'Tloak. They were going to discuss plans to refit the Normandy, some small talk about Cerberus and supplying the asari leader with some information. The commander wanted Aria on his side as the war with the Reapers edged closer.

Mindus and Kolyat were going to buy "duly needed supplies" as, according to Shepard, they were going to be really busy for the next few weeks. They were probably finishing up Omega's alcohol by now.

Luke and Lia had been hanging out quite a lot. It was in one of their flirting moments, after visiting Harrot's shop to pick up some engineering supplies, where Luke almost lost control and held her against a wall. His face was less than a centimeter from her visor. She began to breathe heavily as he continued to pin her against the wall, his hands holding her wrists against it.

"Got ya babe." He said with a smirk as he kissed her visor.

She giggled softly. "Oh what will you do to me my lord?"

He smirked at her and said, "If you could read my mind…. you would be screaming already."

Lia felt herself really wet. She was extremely turned on by the sudden aggressiveness of Luke and how she was defenseless, clearly at the mercy of her human lover.

Both continued to stare at each other lovingly until someone screamed.

"HEY! GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!"

Luke turned and saw a quarian male standing less than thirty yards from him. He was set on a battle stance, really defensive.

"Who the hell are you?" Luke asked.

"Leave her alone!"

"Fuck off, she's mine." He said as he turned to see her with a smirk. Lia did not like the bad words he used on a fellow quarian but when he said "she's mine" she felt butterflies on her stomach.

"Get your dirty hands off her you damn slaver!" The male quarian barked again, this time putting venom in the last word.

Luke turned to see the quarian that had said that huge lie, but instead saw blue energy rushing to his direction. He rapidly put Lia on the ground and his shields absorbed the impact, and he was left a bit dizzy, watching little stars around.

The former commando turned to look at Lia, who was possibly looking at the perpetrator of the attack. Luke turned and saw a well built quarian approaching his position.

"Get out of here babe." Luke ordered his girlfriend, fearing she could end up wounded.

She shook her head. "Not leaving you."

The human turned to her and said, "Go," softly but firmly.

Lia shook her head again and stayed close to her lover. Luke sighed and looked at the attacker.

"Who are you calling a slaver? What the hell do you want?"

"YOU! YOU BOSH'TET! Stop using quarians!" He screamed at the human.

The quarian biotic then approached them and pointed a finger at Luke. "She comes with me scum!"

Suddenly, a powerful punch, right to the stomach, made the quarian kneel over, gasping for breath and holding the floor with his hands.

"Shut up and leave us alone." Luke said, grabbed Lia's hand and turned around to leave the place, now full of people watching intently what was going on.

In the blink of an eye, Lia's body turned blue and she began to "float" where the quarian was. She screamed for help. Luke, however, stood still, his eyes slowly turning into dangerous narrowed ones.

"Don't worry fleet sister! I will protect you!" The quarian said.

"Let me go you stupid idiot! Luke!" She screamed.

In Luke's mind, two things happened. One, the primal system kicked in with full force. The Homo sapiens memories, when the humans barely started walking on Earth in packs, began to set on Luke's mind. Second, his body turned into a biotic powerhouse and blue aura enveloped him like a torch. He felt a few stings where his biotic implants should be, but not even that could distract him, his gaze forward, towards the quarian male. In short, he was a pissed off predator, ready to tear anything apart and had no control of his actions whatsoever.

"RARGH!" Luke roared a sort of battle cry and biotically charged at the quarian. The want to be kidnapper gasped as the human rapidly approached. Luke de la Vega, now being close and making his enemy drop Lia from where she was, a little more than three feet from the ground, launched a very powerful punch, right to the liver of the quarian attacker. A perfect body shot.

The quarian male screamed in pain but gave Luke an amazing roundhouse kick, sending the human staggering backwards. The two men then rushed forward and engaged into a series of punches and kicks. Some would be blocked, others would strike. Luke, being a heavy puncher, delivered quite a punishment to the quarian, repeatedly punching him in the sides, stomach and head.

The human connected with a powerful punch on the quarians head. He went backwards but quickly recovered. The two once again engaged into kicks and punches. Luke's were slower but way more powerful. The former boxer and tae kwon do champion covered his head and body but launched himself recklessly, punching and kicking. The quarian soon learned that the human was very well trained, and seemingly did not get fazed by his kicks or rapid fire punches.

The quarian male, on the other hand, was very agile and flexible. He would kick Luke's head or punch him in the face to keep him at bay, but it was to no use. The human was on primal mode; only killing the beast would make the fight stop. Still, the quarian was standing his ground quite effectively. No matter, this was the toughest opponent he had ever faced, by far...

'_Keelah, he's strong.' _The quarian thought as the human continued to punch him while he kicked him in the stomach. Both then delivered terrible biotic power punches to the face and duly went to the ground, but it was clear the human was way stronger. The quarian watched in amazement as the human got up quickly and charged at him, being a reckless, mindless beast, growling at the top of his lungs.

Lia had been watching the brutal fight. She wanted to intervene but as soon as she approached, she was pushed back by Luke's small orbs of biotic energy. As much as she hated it, she knew she would do more damage than good, so she stopped trying. There was something she recognized from the fight though. It was universal for most species….

When Luke growled, Lia instantly knew he was getting locked into a fight to the death for his girlfriend, mate. The growl clearly stated "off her, mine." Although flattered and happy to see Luke thought about her this way, even though she knew that already, Lia feared for his life. He was now in a fight where he could drain himself out, as he was constantly using his biotic powers. She watched in amazement Luke's battle prowess, punching, kicking and launching terrible biotic attacks at his enemy. The other quarian was extremely good too. He was using his speed to avoid the constant punching and kicking of the slower yet way stronger human.

Luke growled and spread his arms, charging biotic energy to the palms of his hands. The other quarian looked at him puzzled until he saw the human launching small yet numerous biotic blasts at him. He tried to cover himself, but there was a point for this strange yet quite effective attack. Since there were many, just too many biotic blasts, he could not cover himself from all of them. Most struck him, which made him stagger backwards and gasp for air as his shields failed. It felt like a…. hurricane.

Taking the opportunity, Luke charged and delivered a devastating combination of punches and uppercuts, charged with biotic energy, on the quarian. Feeling himself close to being knocked out, the quarian extended his hand and launched a very powerful biotic lightning bolt-like attack on the aggressor. Luke went to the ground and screamed loudly in pain.

Instead of staying on the ground, the human got up again, making the quarian widen his eyes. _'Is he a robot or something? Damn….' _It was clear that he was tired but the human either had an exceptional and vast reserve of energy, or was just fighting to keep his pride. No matter, the punches he continued to deliver were as strong as when they started to fight, making the quarian choose the former.

While both were locked in a very gruesome fight, Lia continued to desperately call for Mindus or Kolyat.

"Guys? GUYS? Please, answer me!" Lia screamed on the intercom as she became desperate.

"Ms. Vael how can I help you?" It was EDI's voice, as calm as anything. Lia fumed and couldn't help but growl at the AI. There was a lot of static in the background too, making matters worse.

"Luke is engaged in a brutal fight with another biotic, I can't stop them! I need help quickly!" She said in distress as Luke was sent flying backwards, hitting a box with his head.

"Help is on the way…." The AI replied with some static.

Lia cursed and tried to talk to Mindus or Shepard himself, but the biotics the quarian had put on her a little while ago had done something to her radio, making static flood her ears. It was a wonder she had been able to talk to EDI.

Again, the human got up and charged, delivering yet another powerful barrage of punches on the quarian. Both locked themselves again blocking and punching until Luke landed a big punch on the kidnappers head, sending him to the ground. When he tried to get up, he was greeted by a powerful throw, which sent him flying backwards, hitting a wall in the process.

His visor was at the point of breaking, Lia had seen. It had a lot of cracks, just about to give out and let the male quarian face infection. Like a predator, Luke approached the wounded quarian, smirking in a very wrong way. Though wounded, the former commando was using his last bits of energy to finish off his rival.

As Luke was set on delivering the last, devastating blow to kill the quarian, a biotic field enveloped him. Lia gasped and turned, seeing Samara in all of her might, easily able to control Luke with her biotic powers.

Shepard, Mindus and Kolyat had taken point, as if expecting resistance, but found none. Garrus had his sniper out, ready for anything. Kasumi appeared in a container, scanning the surroundings.

"Lia, could you please assure Luke that everything is alright?" She calmly said as she began to put him down gently on the floor.

The quarian rapidly approached and began to say sweet things on his ear. Instead of growling, Luke was now smelling her. As his brain found out it was her, he enveloped her in a hug and then fell asleep.

The turian and the drell rushed towards their friend, both looking in distress at the wounded human.

"Dude, can you hear me? What the hell happened?" Mindus asked.

Kolyat shook his head. "No use, he's unconscious."

"It's okay, it's okay." She continued to say as he began to snore.

The beautiful and powerful asari approached and told her, "He is in a very grave condition, we must take him and the quarian," She pointed at the other wounded male, "to the Normandy, come on." She ordered.

Mindus growled at the wounded quarian, with Kolyat narrowing his eyes at the man who had done this to their friend. They clenched their fists at the sight of the gravely wounded man. They were already walking towards him but someone stopped them.

Shepard shook his head and talked for the first time they got there, "No, let us take him for interrogation, that if he survives."

As Lia was about to get Luke and Samara began to get on her way to pick up the other quarian, the human stopped breathing. Lia screamed.

"LUKE! LUKE! NO! STAY WITH ME!" She screamed at him as she picked him up and rushed with her powerful legs to the airlock, which was pretty close to their location.

Mindus and Kolyat jumped at her screaming. Mindus shouted. "Come on! Let's go!"

"STAY WITH ME! STAY WITH ME!" She screamed at Luke, who had his eyes open yet they looked empty. Mindus and Kolyat were right behind her.

"WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T GO INTO THE LIGHT!" Mindus screamed, making the drell look at him funny while running.

Samara saw Lia rushing with her boyfriend. She shook her head sadly and picked up the quarian, who had just fainted. Just…. He was still breathing, but he could end up like Luke, heart attack after draining himself from using too much biotic powers. Shepard and Samara were rushing carrying the wounded quarian while Garrus covered their backs through the people that had been watching the fight, some cheering, others screaming, and finally, groaning as the asari had stopped it.

Unbeknownst to them, Black Hand scouts had been watching the fight all along, all of them with a smile on their faces…..

"De la Vega and the quarian have exceeded our expectations by wide margins, waiting for orders." One of them said.

* * *

Luke and the quarian had been on the infirmary for over two hours now. Mindus and Kolyat had been on a drunken haze and fury, blaming the quarian and wanting to fight their way inside to kill him. Shepard had to put Grunt in front of the infirmary, just in case the two tried again. Garrus had to be there too, talking to them about past experiences like this one and how they could help Luke by staying calm. Wasn't working so well…

"We have to kill him." Mindus growled.

Kolyat nodded. "Yes, I want to tear his mask out."

"I want to tear his mask out, piss on his face and then toss him through the nearest fucking airlock!" Mindus shouted in rage.

Garrus shook his head, knowing full well what was going on with these two. Drell and turians struck friendship and eventually, there is a point where their friends are considered brothers, as in blood brothers. That is why these two were so fiercely overprotective of Luke, and of his girlfriend. He was the same of Shepard and Tali, his best friends in the galaxy.

Lia, on the other hand, had been inside, crying and holding Luke's hand as he had descended into a coma after being revived when he arrived to the Normandy. She blamed the quarian too, but she did not have the heart or the guts to do anything stupid, so instead, she stayed close to her human. She was then told to leave after a few minutes standing by him, as Luke was going through a surgery.

After hours, Doctor Chakwas came out, blood on her coat. The people immediately set their eyes on her. Lia rushed towards her and said, "How is he? Is he going to be alright? Please…"

The doctor could only look at her. "He suffered heavy damage to his ribcage and his biotic implants fried, that is why he was behaving strangely." She then sighed. "We fixed him, as much as we could, but all we can do now is wait for him to… wake up."

'_Wait….' _Lia started crying, with Kasumi and Tali taking her away. Mindus and Kolyat growled and turned to see the male quarian, peacefully asleep.

"We need to make sure he does not survive tonight…" The drell said quietly.

* * *

**So what did you think? Finally, a fight worth it for Luke. Once again, quarian biotic belongs to JustAFerret, make sure you go and have a look at his Paragon series, excellent fics. Well, as always a pleasure. R&R!**


	23. Notice

BREAKING NEWS (Right….)

* * *

This part of the story is now "complete." I forgot technically to put it.

I know, I know, cliffhangers suck, and yes of course, the fight was below average in terms of quality. I promise to rewrite it. As you have read, my dear and faithful reader, my evolution was pretty cool. I went from sucks ass to fair in terms of writing.

However, this is Part I of the series. There will be a second part, right now in the works! It will be longer than this one, and it will involve Mass Effect 2 to a possible and speculative Mass Effect 3. I will upload it probably AFTER holidays.

If you have any questions or doubts, you have the reviews section and I will reply as fast as possible.

Here, I will do a little FAQ section.

**So… what inspired the three stooges?**

Go to you tube, and type the three stooges. Amazing comedians.

**Is there a plot?**

Of course there is.

**Why did Luke and Lia "fall in love" so fast?**

You will see in the next story. However, I do like people pointing out grave mistakes such as this, though it will be explained, I assure you.

**Why is Mindus so retarded?**

He is not, he is just a legit turian.

**So many OCs….**

Well, I like to create my own characters…

**Could Luke beat Shepard in a fight?**

Shepard is Chuck Norris, he can't be beaten pshh.

**Will there be a lot of action in the next story?**

Imagine Saving Private Ryan meets Mass Effect and The Three Stooges.

**How come you do everything around comedy?**

Jack of all trades, action, adventure, comedy and romance are awesome.

**The last fight sucked! Are you ashamed of yourself?**

No I am not, but I do feel kinda bad…

**Where did you get all those jokes?**

Everyday life.

**More OCs in the next story?**

Quite possibly, though not as many.

**So what are the classes of the three main characters?**

Luke is a vanguard, Mindus is an infiltrator and Kolyat is a soldier.

**So when quarians get wasted, they get all feisty and... energized?**

You bet your ass they do.

**Why did you include the Black Hand? And what are they?**

Because they will be a very important part of the plot. They are basically a big mafia paramilitary organization of human origins.

**Are they evil?**

Make sure you read the next story.

**Who the hell is the quarian fighting Luke?**

Ask JustAFerret, he knows.

**How many stories are you going to make out of this?**

Trilogy maybe.

**Are the main characters mary sues?**

God, I hope not.

**This was rated M, and there were no sex scenes. Care to explain?**

Go watch porn, I am not your playboy magazine.

**Any stories you recommend?**

Look at DarkDanny's stories, and JustAFerret, pretty good stuff. Also, check GrimOne's new story, amazing.

**What is Luke's weight class in boxing?**

Welterweight.

**What did you learn by writing this story?**

I was humbled by how readers stuck by the story and actually gave me a chance to prove myself. (Yeah, you guys are awesome)

* * *

Alright, so guys thank you for everything, I promise you the next story will be awesome. Multiply this by over nine thousand, that is how I plan it to be.

You have the reviews section to state your business.. hah!

See ya!

Happy Holidays by the way!


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